Gestures are an essential means of communication. And while words might do the job, we still turn to our hands to pass information to each other. But as gestures occur in vastly different cultures, their meanings may be hard for outsiders to find out. Even if the gesture may be the same, the meaning behind it can be drastically modified.
Often these cross-cultural mix-ups can be innocent or humorous, but other times, you may unintentionally insult or threaten someone without even having any clue. Today, weâre taking a look at 15 signs that Americans use that mean drastically different things in other countries.
For Americans, nodding to someone talking means you agree with what theyâre saying, or itâs just a way to show that youâre actually listening to others. In Bulgaria and Greece, however, this gesture means the oppositeâyou disagree with what they say.
If we want to offend someone in the U.S., we could flip the bird. Our cultureâs middle finger is one of the most offensive expressions you may use. But donât get insulted if youâre in Chinaâs sea of middle fingersâitâs finger they usually use to point with and donât show ill will.
Often in America, crossed arms may be a mild sign of meanness or rage, but thatâs how many people instinctively rest their arms. Itâs best, though to avoid this gesture entirely in Finlandâit can mean youâre causing trouble or starting a war.
When Americans pray, they sometimes place their palms near the chest. Nepal, however, is a traditional and friendly way to greet someone or say goodbye.
Originally âvâ stood for âvictory.â Now it is used as the âpeace sign.â You notice it sometimes when people are trying to evoke hippies, and itâs such an iconic part of taking pictures in Japanese society that Time Magazine did a write-up on where it originated from.
That being said, please ensure you have your palm heading away from you. In Australia and the UK, this symbol (with the palm facing inward) has had the same significance as the middle finger since at least the year 1330. In those nations, youâll be saying âF*** You!â which seems to be quite the contrary of âpeace.â
Forming a circle with your thumb and pointer finger generally means âOK!â in the U.S. In certain Middle Eastern nations, it portrays the evil eye. However, a more common definition is youâre an a**hole.â This is taken that way in Greece, Spain, and Brazil.
Thereâs another level of homophobic subtext to Turkeyâs gesture. Once famously, Nixon made this first impression to a country. Never do that. White nationalists have recently co-opted the sign for their own purposes also in the U.S., distorting the apparently innocuous original meaning depending on the context it is portrayed in.
In America, this generally means âGreat job!â In Greece, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia, and elsewhere, it means âUp yours!â If youâd like to be rude, you can put your thumb up to highlight the offensive message, but chances are you would just like to avoid it.
To an American, itâs a very generic way to evoke good luck. Nobody does it in except women in tone-deaf romantic comedies, but the concept is still recognized. However, in Vietnam, the gesture is believed to be⊠explicitly feminine. Consider it a female analogue to flipping someone off.
U.S. kids are drilled not to place their arms on the table while they eat. But in France, itâs respectful to keep your hands on the table, palm down on either side of your plate. When your hands slip below the table, your host will wonder what youâre doing with them.
This is hard. There are still places in the U.S. where people have difficulty using their left hand, but in wide portions of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, the left hand is still traditionally mired with personal hygiene connotations. Giving a gift with lefty usually used for toilet paper is a big no-no. A handshake is also not recommended.
Money speaks in the U.S.âso much so we got a sign for it. But if you do this in South Korea, they wonât even think youâre obsessed with money. Instead theyâll think youâre romance obsessed, as this gesture indicates âlove.â
For a long time, pointing at someone in the U.S. may be considered a semi-aggressive gesture, however over the period it has also become a humorous symbol of approval. However, this motion is considered highly offensive in countries worldwide. For example, in some African countries, pointing at objects is only appropriate, never people.
Waving goodbye is American second nature. Itâs straightforward, unlikely to offend someone. In areas of Europe and South America, this gesture means ânoâ instead of farewell.
This symbol isnât really a major thing in the United States, but we could use it to pantomime a horned animal or to be silly. However in Japan, itâs not such a jokey sign. Rather this gesture reflects demon horns, suggesting that someone is extremely unhappy.
In the United States, if weâre to mime a phone call, we could take our thumb and pinky and put our hand up to our ear like a receiver. That being said, if you were in Hawaii, this sign could mean relax, while in Germany it means youâre trying to order a beer.