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יאללה
Yalla
/YAH-lah/
Let's go, come on, hurry up, goodbye
💬What does Yalla mean in Hebrew?
Yalla (יאללה, pronounced YAH-lah) is borrowed from Arabic and means "let's go", "come on", "hurry up", or even "goodbye". It's one of the most frequently used words in Israeli Hebrew, appearing dozens of times a day in conversation. "Yalla bye" is an iconic Israeli farewell blending Arabic with English. Yalla expresses urgency, encouragement, or signals a conversation is wrapping up.
🔊How to pronounce Yalla
יאללה
Yalla
YAH-lah
Capitals = stressed syllable
The Hebrew script reads right-to-left. The English transliteration uses the Israeli Sephardic pronunciation standard.
🇮🇱When do Israelis use Yalla?
Borrowed from Arabic, "yalla" is the Israeli verbal Swiss Army knife. It urges action, expresses impatience, encourages someone, or closes a conversation. "Yalla bye" — mixing Arabic and English — is the quintessential Israeli farewell. Israelis say it 20+ times a day.
Fun fact
"Yalla bye" became so culturally embedded it's used as shorthand for Israeli culture itself. Pop singer Sarit Hadad made it a hit song title. Misconception: some think "yalla" is impolite — in Israel it's completely neutral and friendly, not rude.
📝Yalla in a sentence — examples
יאללה, אנחנו מאחרים!
Yalla, anakhnu me'akharim!
Come on, we're running late!
יאללה ביי, נדבר מחר.
Yalla bye, nedaber makhar.
Alright bye, we'll talk tomorrow.
יאללה, תסיים כבר!
Yalla, tesayem kvar!
Come on, finish already!
יאללה, נלך לים?
Yalla, nelekh layam?
Let's go to the beach?
יאללה, מספיק לדבר — תתחיל לעשות.
Yalla, maspik ledaber — tathel la'asot.
Okay, enough talking — start doing.
📖Origin of Yalla
From Arabic "ya Allah" (يا الله — "Oh God / let's go"). Shared across the entire Arab world and fully absorbed into Hebrew. One of the most widely used Arabic loanwords in Israeli speech.
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