yalla يلا
Tunisian Derja · interjection
“yalla” (يلا) is an interjection in Tunisian Derja meaning come on, let's go.
Meanings
- come on, let's go
- quick, hurry up
- well, so (to wrap up)
Usage
Yalla is a very common interjection used to urge someone to act or leave: yalla nemchiw ("come on, let's go"). Repeated, yalla yalla, it expresses impatience. It is also used to end a conversation or to accept something, like "well, okay". Yalla bye is a common way of saying goodbye among young people. The register is informal to neutral, with no impolite connotation. In arabizi, you also see yella, with an e, which reflects the Tunisian pronunciation.
Example
يلا نمشيو، الكار باش تفوتنا.
yalla nemchiw, el car bech tfoutna.
“Come on, let's go, we're going to miss the bus.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “yalla” but also “yala”, “yella”, “yela” and “yallaa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find يلا and ياللا, all the same word.