ygoulou يقولوا
Moroccan Darija · verb
“ygoulou” (يقولوا) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning they say, let them say.
Meanings
- they say, let them say
- people say, it is said
Usage
Ygoulou is the plural imperfect of gal, "to say": "(that) they say". Preceded by ka-, it becomes kaygoulou, which is very often used impersonally: "people say that", "it seems that". This construction introduces a rumor or popular belief, often followed by belli (that). The person addressed is added with l-: ygoulou lik (let them tell you). The ending -ou is written in Arabic with or without a final alif depending on the writer. The pronunciation y9olou also exists, especially in urban settings.
Example
كيقولو بلي غادي تشتا غدا
kaygoulou belli ghadi tshta ghedda
“They say it's going to rain tomorrow.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ygoulou” but also “ygolo”, “y9olo”, “ygoulo” and “igoulou”. 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 “ygoulou” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “they say”; “people say (impersonal)”: y9olo in Algerian.