يلا يلا
yalla yalla
The English phrase "go go" is translated into Arabic as يلا يلا (yalla yalla).
This phrase is an informal way to prompt someone to start an action immediately or to move faster. It is used to tell someone to hurry up or to start moving.
What does it mean word for word?
The expression is a repetition of يلا, which is a contraction of ya Allah (O God) and is used colloquially to mean "let's go" or "come on".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While يلا يلا is an informal way to express urgency, there are formal alternatives. For example, اذهب is a formal way to say "go" and انطلق is a formal verb meaning "to go". Repeating the word as يلا يلا increases the sense of urgency compared to using it once.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you may use روح يلا to mean "go go".
How do you pronounce it?
yalla yalla
Did you know?
- In some contexts, يلا is used not to tell someone to leave, but as a way to end a phone call, similar to how English speakers say 'alright then' or 'I'll let you go'.
- In Egypt, you might hear the variation روح يلا used to mean 'go go'. However, be careful, as this specific phrasing is often used to tell someone to 'go away' or 'get lost' rather than just asking them to hurry.
- The word يلا has become so globally recognized through music and pop culture that it is frequently used by non-Arabic speakers in several different languages.
Examples in context
- اذهب إلى الاجتماع الآن.Go to the meeting now.
- انطلق نحو النجاح.Go towards success.
- يلا يلا، نحن متأخرون!Yalla yalla, nahnu muta'akhkhirun!Go go, we are late!
- يلا يلا، اركب السيارة.Yalla yalla, irkab al-sayyara.Go go, get in the car.
- يلا يلا، ابدأ العمل الآن.Yalla yalla, ibda' al-'amal al-aan.Go go, start working now.
Example conversation
Ziad and Maryam are leaving the house for a movie.
- زياد Ziadيلا يلا يا مريم، الفيلم سيبدأ!Yalla yalla ya Maryam, al-film sayabda'!Go go Maryam, the movie is about to start!
- مريم Maryamأنا قادمة، فقط ثانية واحدة.Ana qadima, faqat thaniya wahida.I'm coming, just one second.
- زياد Ziadليس لدينا وقت، يلا يلا!Laysa ladayna waqt, yalla yalla!We don't have time, go go!
- مريم Maryamحسناً يا زياد، أنا معك الآن.Hasanan ya Ziad, ana ma'ak al-aan.Okay Ziad, I am with you now.
