walo والو
Moroccan Darija · pronoun
“walo” (والو) is a pronoun in Moroccan Darija meaning nothing.
Meanings
- nothing
- no, not at all (reply)
Usage
Walo is the most common word for "nothing". With a verb, it goes with the negation ma: ma cheft walo, "I didn't see anything". Used alone, it serves as an answer: "What's wrong? — Walo", meaning "nothing, it's nothing". It can also open a sentence in the sense of "no, nothing special": walo, gha 3iyan, "nothing, I'm just tired". It is very colloquial and used in all circles. In online writing, it is often stretched for emphasis: walooo.
Example
ما شفت والو
ma cheft walo
“I didn't see anything.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “walo” but also “walou” and “walu”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “walo” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “nothing”; “not at all”: walou in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “nothing at all”: walou in Tunisian.