Signification
Suggesting to leave or start moving.
Contexte culturel
If you say 'Chalo jaī'ē' at a Gujarati home, the host will almost always reply with 'Beho, beho' (Sit, sit) or 'Chā pīne jajo' (Have tea before you go). It is a ritualistic tug-of-war between the guest trying to leave and the host trying to keep them longer. In the diamond or textile markets of Surat and Ahmedabad, 'Chalo' is used to quickly move between deals. It reflects the fast-paced, time-is-money attitude of Gujarati traders. During Garba, 'Chalo' is the call to action. You'll hear 'Chalo Garba ramva' (Let's go play Garba) throughout the nine nights. It's a phrase of high social energy. When Gujaratis go on 'Yatra' (pilgrimage), 'Chalo' is used to encourage tired pilgrims to keep moving toward the temple.
The 'Chalo' Filler
You can use 'Chalo' alone to mean 'Okay, anyway...' when you want to change the subject in a conversation.
Don't be too bossy
If you say it too loudly or abruptly, it can sound like a command. Use a rising, questioning intonation to make it a polite suggestion.
Signification
Suggesting to leave or start moving.
The 'Chalo' Filler
You can use 'Chalo' alone to mean 'Okay, anyway...' when you want to change the subject in a conversation.
Don't be too bossy
If you say it too loudly or abruptly, it can sound like a command. Use a rising, questioning intonation to make it a polite suggestion.
The Double Chalo
Saying 'Chalo, chalo!' (twice) adds urgency, like 'Come on, let's move it!'
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank to say 'Let's go home.'
ચાલો, _______ જઈએ.
'Gharē' means 'home'. The sentence becomes 'Chālo, gharē jaī'ē.'
Which is the most polite way to suggest leaving to your teacher?
તમારા શિક્ષકને શું કહેશો?
'Chālo' is the plural/polite form, essential for showing respect to teachers.
Complete the dialogue.
A: મોડું થાય છે. (It's getting late.) B: હા, _________.
If it's getting late, the logical response is 'Let's go.'
Match the phrase to the situation: 'ચાલો જમવા જઈએ.'
When would you say this?
'Jamvā' means 'to eat'. So 'Let's go to eat.'
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Where to use 'Chalo'?
Travel
- • Station
- • Airport
- • Car
Social
- • Parties
- • Cafe
- • Friend's house
Work
- • Meetings
- • Lunch break
- • End of shift
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesચાલો, _______ જઈએ.
'Gharē' means 'home'. The sentence becomes 'Chālo, gharē jaī'ē.'
તમારા શિક્ષકને શું કહેશો?
'Chālo' is the plural/polite form, essential for showing respect to teachers.
A: મોડું થાય છે. (It's getting late.) B: હા, _________.
If it's getting late, the logical response is 'Let's go.'
When would you say this?
'Jamvā' means 'to eat'. So 'Let's go to eat.'
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNo, 'Chalo' implies a group. If you are alone, say 'Huṃ jaūṃ chuṃ' (I am going).
Yes, they are culturally almost identical in how they function as social signals.
'Chalo' is polite/plural; 'Chal' is informal/singular. Use 'Chalo' with elders.
You would say 'ચાલો નથી જવું' (Chālo nathī javuṃ) or 'ચાલો ન જઈએ' (Chālo na jaī'ē).
It's a bit too casual for a formal email. Use 'Let us proceed' equivalents like 'આગળ વધીએ'.
It's a way of saying 'Okay, I'm going to hang up now.' It's a very common closer.
Not always. It can mean 'Let's start' a mental task or a new topic of conversation.
It means 'Okay, let's go, come again.' It's the standard Gujarati way to say goodbye.
Yes, but use a polite tone. It's neutral enough for most workplaces.
Yes, it's exactly the same in Hindi, which makes it very useful across India.
Expressions liées
આવજો
similarGoodbye (literally: come again)
નીકળીએ
synonymLet's head out
આગળ વધીએ
builds onLet's move forward
ચાલને
informalCome on, let's go
