יאללה
yalla
Yalla means come on or let's go, and Israelis say it all day
What it means
Yalla came into Hebrew from Arabic, where it means come on. In Israeli Hebrew it hurries someone along, starts something, agrees to a plan or ends a phone call.
When Israelis say it
Yalla, we're late. Yalla, let's eat. Yalla, bye, the usual way to end a call. Said slowly with a shrug, yalla can also mean oh, go on then.
Frequently asked questions
Is yalla Hebrew or Arabic?
It is Arabic, and so much part of spoken Hebrew that most Israelis use it many times a day.
What does yalla bye mean?
Okay, bye: the most common way to end a phone call in Israel.