Hand Gestures that Land You in Trouble: Navigating The Cultural Minefield

Hey language nerds! You’ve mastered the grammar, you can pronounce the rolling ‘R’ like a pro…you’re ready to travel, right?

Not so fast.

There’s a silent, invisible language spoken in every country, it’s in their culture, and it’s the one that causes the most misunderstandings: body language. 

Imagine this common travel scenario: you’re having dinner in Munich, and while communicating with the staff, you make a hand-gesture, and gradually watch their face fall. What happened? The truth is, true language mastery requires cultural fluency too. 

 Here are a few simple, everyday gestures that mean wildly different things all over the world.

1. The A-OK Sign’s Dupilicit Nature:

   The A-OK sign you make with your thumb and index finger means “Perfect!” in the UK and the US. But, in Germany and France, it’s not what you think it is. This gesture signals zero or worthless. You are literally saying the quality of something is nil. So, using this gesture to praise a delicious meal or a beautiful piece of art in the Louvre museum is a guaranteed way to confuse or accidentally insult someone. If you want to signal “Great” then stick to the universally accepted thumbs-up. It eliminates the probability of insulting someone and keeps you on friendly terms with the locals!

   
   

2. Counting Crisis: Where do you start?

   Ordering items, especially pastries, requires knowing how to use your hands correctly!

    The Germans typically start counting with the thumb, followed by the index finger and the French on the other hand follow the more common method of starting with the index finger. So, when showing a number, always say the number out loud while holding up the correct fingers to confirm your order! 

   
   

3. The Fig Gesture

   The fig hand gesture consists of a fist with the thumb wedged between the index and middle fingers. If you spent your childhood in the United States, you might instantly recognize the fig as an integral part of the “I got your nose” game. But, not in all the other countries. If you use it in Japan, Russia or Indonesia, its considered obscene, while in Turkey, it might convey that you’re spoiling for a fight. It is the Turkish equivalent of a middle finger.

We know that juggling all this seems very complicated… but it’s really not. The Foreign Language Institute makes learning feel fun and easy!

After all, mastering a new language is pretty handy, unless, of course, you’re using the wrong gestures! So before you head out on your next adventure, come join us. We’ll make sure you don’t accidentally tell your waiter his food is “worthless” or start a brawl over a game of “I got your nose.”

Don’t let your travel stories get lost in translation, or worse, lost in gesticulation. Sign up today and learn how to speak with your tongue and your thumbs!