![]() ![]() In Poland, however, you will see an entirely different gesture. Avoid Using In: Afghanistan, Iran, parts of Italy, and Greece. and on Facebook, but in Afghanistan, Iran, parts of Italy, and Greece, it means “up yours.” So next time you’re trying to hitchhike in, say, Tuscany, you should reconsider before sticking out your thumb. The thumbs-up signals approval in the U.S. ![]() This involves extending a hand out and lightly touching each finger to the palm. Gestures: People may give one another a nonverbal cue to alert those around them if they see someone that they suspect is a thief. Pointing: Avoid directly pointing at people with the index finger. Pointing UK-style As in most countries, pointing at someone with just your index finger is rude in the UK, so you should usually use an open hand with the palm up and all four fingers pointing towards the person. Pointing the finger is considered rude in Japanese culture because the person pointing is associated with explicitly calling out the other individual for their wrong behavior or actions. What hand gestures are offensive in Japan? So no posing in front of the Parthenon making the thumbs up gesture like a nerdy tourist. In Iran, Greece, Russia, Sardinia, and parts of West Africa the thumbs up is as rude as the middle finger is in the UK. What country is it rude to give a thumbs up?ġ. However, this gesture is very offensive in most Western nations and considered impolite in many other countries, especially when taken out of context. In some European and Middle Eastern countries, it is customary to point with your middle finger. It will animate you dramatically and keep the focus off your hand.It is particularly rude in China, Japan, and Indonesia. Whether you are calling on a member of the audience, pointing something out on a slide, or raising your hand for emphasis, use your whole hand and you will get your point across with much less chance for offense. To me, that means you can ensure a certain amount of safety by never using your fingers in a gesture. But something I noticed in Cotton’s chapter is that eight of the nine problematical gestures involve the fingers. Must you learn every possible hand gesture and its meaning in order to avoid offending cross-cultural audiences? That might be a good idea. In some African countries, you may point with your index finger, but only at inanimate objects, never at people But in many countries, particularly in Asia and Latin America, pointing at someone that way is considered rude. In the US, pointing with the index finger is how you call on a member of the audience.In the US, it usually means “well done.” But in Iraq, as we learned during the American invasion, it means “Up yours!” The thumbs-up gesture also carries offense in parts of West Africa, Russia, Australia, Iran, Greece, and Sardinia. Then there’s the friendly thumbs-up gesture.When you make it with an inward-facing palm, in many cultures, it is a way of saying, “Up yours! Regardless of which of the three meanings you intend, the proper way to make the gesture is with your palm facing outward. We’ve all seen photos of Winston Churchill extending his forefinger and index finger upward in a “V.” To Churchill, the gesture meant “‘V’ for victory.” Then in the 1960s, before it was co-opted by Richard Nixon as a sign of his personal success, it came to be regarded as a peace sign.You may be saying something with it that you don’t intend. Our advice is to avoid using the “OK” gesture with cross-cultural audiences. In many other cultures, the “OK” sign isn’t as offensive as it is in Brazil, but it may well mean something entirely different than what it means to American audiences. A gesture that signifies “OK” in the US, however, has a very different meaning in Brazil (and Germany and Russia), where it symbolizes a particular bodily orifice that I don’t discuss in this blog and that is never mentioned in polite conversation. You know the gesture I mean: making a circle with thumb and forefinger with the remaining fingers extended. In the 1950s, Vice President Richard Nixon emerged from an airplane in Brazilgesturing to the crowd with the “OK” sign – both hands.Knowing these are subject to misinterpretation could save you grief in cross-cultural communication. I wanted to describe three of them in addition to the “OK” gesture. Her chapter on gestures highlights nine different hand gestures and their meanings in different cultures. We have been reading Gayle Cotton’s 2013 book, Say Anything to Anyone, Anywhere, and we recommend this book to you if you need to communicate cross-culturally. ![]()
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