Hand gestures in different cultures

(and what they mean)

By

Luciano Cipolla

September 6, 2018

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Hand gestures are a great way of reinforcing what you’re saying.

But caution:

They can mean different things in different cultures.

Here are six hand gestures and what they mean in different
countries and cultures:
Thumbs up
This widely recognised sign of approval or agreement is actually used as an insult in Bangladesh.

In certain parts of the Middle East, thumbs-up is definitely a highly offensive thumbs-down.

The thumbs-up sign has been confusing people for thousands of years!

Come here
This is used in the United States to ask a person to step forward, but in Asia this gesture isn’t
welcome.

It should only be used to beckon dogs…if you do it in the Philippines you could be arrested.
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The horn fingers

In USA “the horn fingers” is adopted by rockers and it is a sign of approval, rock on!

Hook ’em Horns is the slogan and hand signal of the University of Texas at Austin.

But in many Mediterranean and Latin countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Spain,
Italy and Portugal, to make this sign at someone is to tell them that their spouse is cheating on them.

Looking at your watch

This means ‘I’m in a hurry’ or ‘I’ve got to be somewhere’.
In the Middle East, however, a conversation should run its natural course, as it would be very rude to
look at your watch mid-conversation. In Arabic culture, once communication has started, it must
“take its time”.

The OK
In most of the English-speaking world, as well as in several other countries, this hand gesture means
that everything is fine, great, okay and/or perfect.

In Brazil, however, it is considered a rude gesture. The most famous example of this was in the 1950s
when Richard Nixon visited Brazil and flashed the “Ok sign” to a waiting crowd upon arriving in Rio
de Janeiro, who responded with boos!

The “V” Sign

This sign has two formats: one with the palm faced outwards, and another with the palm inwards.
In the US, both ways refer to “victory” and peace: protesters against the Vietnam War and activists
adopted the gesture as a sign of peace. Because the hippies of the day often flashed this sign (palm
out) while saying “Peace”, it became popularly known (through association) as the peace sign.

In other places, such as in the UK, Australia and South Africa, the same gesture with the back of the
hand facing the other person is considered to be an extremely insulting.

Next time you practice your new language skills remember to be sensitive with your hand gestures!