goulli قولي
Algerian Darja · expression
“goulli” (قولي) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning tell me (to a person).
Meanings
- tell me (to a person)
- so tell me, by the way (prompt)
Usage
Goulli is the imperative of the verb gal (to say) followed by -li (to me). It is used to a man or a woman; the plural is goulouli. Very common for asking for information or advice, often softened by a polite formula: goulli Allah ya3ichek (tell me, please). It is also used to restart a conversation, like "say" or "tell me" in English. The g corresponds to the qaf pronounced "g" in much of Algeria. In cities where the qaf is pronounced "q" or as a glottal stop, you hear qoulli or 'oulli.
Example
قولي واش صرا البارح
goulli wach sra lbareh
“Tell me what happened yesterday.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “goulli” but also “gouli”, “9oulli”, “qoulli” and “goulii”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.
Type “goulli” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “tell me”; “say (feminine imperative)”: goli in Moroccan.