יאללה
yálla
The Hebrew expression for "come on" is יאללה (yálla).
יאללה is used to express encouragement, to urge someone to hurry up or to signal that it is time to leave.
Meaning: expression of encouragement (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
יאללה is a contraction of the Arabic phrase "ya Allah", which literally means "O God".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
יאללה is a highly colloquial term used in everyday spoken Hebrew. For an informal way to say "come on", you can also use Bo.
How do you pronounce it?
yálla
Did you know?
- Hebrew speakers often pair יאללה with the word ביי to create the common parting phrase יאללה ביי, blending Arabic and English roots in one breath.
- While Bo is a direct translation of 'come', using it in the imperative can sound like a command for a pet, making יאללה the more socially natural choice for friends.
- In many contexts, יאללה can act as a punctuation mark to signal the abrupt end of a conversation or a meeting.
Examples in context
- יאללה עזבי אותך ממוסקבה שלך, בואי לתל אביב.Come on, get over your Moscow and come to Tel Aviv.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use יאללה when encouraging someone to move from one place to another.Tatoeba #2620408 by Olya, translation #9344946 by Alkrasnov
Example conversation
Noam is trying to convince Noa to start exercising.
- נועם Noamיאללה נועה, קומי להתאמן.yalla Noa, kumi le-hit'amen.Come on Noa, get up to work out.
- נועה Noaאני ממש לא בעניין עכשיו.ani mamash lo ba-inyan akhshav.I'm really not in the mood right now.
- נועם Noamזה יהיה כיף, בואי!ze yihye kef, bo'i!It will be fun, come on!
- נועה Noaטוב, אני באה.tov, ani ba'a.Okay, I'm coming.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry יאללה, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
