Hebrew Slang with Arabic Origins
The following words are in fact Arabic but have made their way into the popular Hebrew slang here in Israel. With two cultures living so closely together, they were bound to share with each other! Let's see how many will be a shock for you...
01 Fauda
Means chaos in Arabic. This term is a code word or slang for undercover soldiers. It is used to describe the situation when a soldier's cover is blown and is threatened with bodily harm.
02 Ahalan
Means hello in Arabic and in Hebrew it is used as an informal greeting like, 'hey'.
03 Achla
Not only is achla the name of one of Israel's hummus brands but it is an Arabic word that Israelis use to mean 'awesome', 'great', or 'fantastic'.
04 Fadicha
Is Arabic for 'shame' and Israelis use this term to describe an awkward or embarrassing situation. You may have heard an Israeli say, "Eiza fadicha!" (How embarrassing!)
05 Halas
Means 'that's it', 'it's done' or 'I'm done' in Arabic. In Hebrew it is used more to say 'enough!' or 'stop it!'
06 Walla
If you want to convey surprise or happiness just use 'walla!' It means 'by God' in Arabic, but in Hebrew slang, it's more like saying, 'wow!'
07 Yalla
This Arabic word is very common and is used to say 'let's go' or 'get a move on!' Another version is 'Yalla balagan' and can mean 'Let's party' or 'let's get crazy!'. It is normal for many people to also end their conversations with, 'Yalla bye'.
08 Sababa
The epic Hebrew / Arabic slang word means 'terrific' or 'awesome' or can even be used as another way of saying 'ok'.
