List of gestures
The list of gestures is an exemplary list of the human gestures that are frequently used worldwide . Not all of them serve the communication from person to person, but also from people to a higher being, as an expression of a view towards oneself or towards animals. Every day in social life, people use a variety of gestures in interpersonal communication .
The gestures are very different depending on the culture, social origin , point of view, emotion and religion , and the recipient may understand them differently. This is due on the one hand to a different origin and on the other hand to the meaning, i. H. Situation and context. The variety is very broad, e.g. For example, gestures can convey approval or rejection, a greeting or a political or religious attitude or a social affiliation. The characters are transported with body parts , there can also be an interplay of several body parts.
finger
Stalin turns a long nose
thumb
- Reach out your fist and point your thumb down - denial
- Faust reach out and show a thumbs up - approval or confirmation ( Okay give). In some Arab countries as well as in Iran this gesture has the meaning of the raised middle finger as explained below, this can lead to unpleasant misunderstandings.
- Reach out your fist and point your thumb horizontally - indecision or neutrality
- Tracing the cross on the forehead of a believer with the thumb - blessing a person in Christianity
- Licking the thumb pointing upwards and stretching it out is a widespread gesture in Bulgaria that is used to make a bet or to provoke a bet.
index finger
- Place vertically outstretched index finger on the nose: signals superiority
- Place the outstretched index finger with the fingertip pointing to the nose vertically on your own or someone else's lips - request for calm or secrecy
- Index finger to his forehead or temples tap: show bird or a bird have - someone as crazy / stupid dub ( insult )
- Put index finger into the (wide) open mouth: a behavior, a circumstance or a person disgusts the speaker (hint of vomiting )
- Put the tip of your index finger in your mouth - Thinking , embarrassment, or shame (especially children after a reprimand)
- Extend your index finger and raise your hand at about chest or head height - a request to be careful
Middle finger
- Extended middle finger, the back of the hand points to the recipient: stinky finger - insult, phallic symbol
Pinkie finger
- Raised little finger of the right hand: identification marks of Aacheners and greeting each other ( Klenkes )
Combinations
- The index and middle fingers are spread and the surfaces of the fingers are pointing forward: Victory sign - a sign of victory , but often also means peace . In East Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, the gesture is very often made on photos or film recordings. The meaning is roughly "happy" and is intended to underline the smile. When the back of the hand is turned outwards, the gesture has negative connotations in some countries: In this form, it is extremely rude and insulting, especially in Australia, Great Britain, Ireland and New Zealand. It corresponds to the local extended middle finger.
- Thumb, index and middle finger stretched out, touching both fingers: Blessing gesture in Christianity - giving a blessing to a believer (out of date)
- closed fist with spread thumb and little finger - Shaka
- Spread your thumb and little finger - greetings from windsurfers when there is calm
- Spread the thumb and little finger apart, bend the other fingers towards the heel of the hand and hold the latter to one ear: Imitate the telephone receiver - make a telephone conversation (usually a request). Hold your thumb to your lips with the same finger position and tilt your hand upwards towards your mouth - represent drinking.
- Put the thumb on the tip of the nose and spread the little finger: " Turn a long nose " - tease ("Ätschibäätsch!" Or "smeared!"), As reinforcement, also with the second hand in the same gesture applied to the little finger of the first hand. Mostly among children
- “ Scraping turnips ” refers to the gesture of stroking the pointing finger with an outstretched index finger, mostly to show mockery, reproach or malicious pleasure among children.
- Rubbing the thumb against the index and middle finger tips: Counting money - Point out that a matter is an issue of costs (partly a demand for money )
- Extend the left arm a little downwards from the body while extending the index and middle fingers - greetings among motorcyclists while driving
- Extend one arm away from the body and spread your thumb and forefinger while aiming your forefinger at someone and imitating the recoil of a handgun - symbolic shooting
- Tenderly tapping the tip of another person's nose with a finger - intimacy
- Guide your index finger or thumb across your own neck while maintaining eye contact with a person: Symbolic slitting of the neck (to kill) - Immediate termination of an action or threat
- Bend and straighten the index and middle fingers of both hands synchronously while holding the hands up slightly: Imitate quotation marks , e.g. B. while citing (mostly in North America)
- Hold up the hand and stretch out the index and middle fingers as well as the little finger: shock gesture - insult (increase of the stinky finger), phallic symbol
- Snap and hold up your hand: Imperious invitation to hurry up (today perceived consistently very rude), as well as signal from students to attract the teacher's attention (for example to give an answer)
- Form the index finger and thumb into a ring and insert the index finger of the other hand into the ring or hit the end of a fist several times with the palm of the other hand: imitate coitus - vulgar insult
- Bring the index, middle finger and thumb together and bring them to your own mouth several times in circular movements: Eating (consuming food)
- Extend your index finger and little finger
- Mano cornuta ("devil's greeting" or horn gesture) - vulgar insult or sign of belonging to the heavy metal or rock music scene (the hand is usually at head height or above the forehead)
- popular symbol against the evil eye
- Notification that you are going to move away from a place for a short period of time to empty your bladder (the hand is held in front of the step - imitation of the penis, Nepalese men)
- in Russia that one calls oneself “Piterskaya Koza” = “goat from Saint Petersburg” (colloquial)
- Combine thumb and index finger to form a ring, spread the remaining fingers: Okay ( diving sign ), praise (only in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, in Italy it means asshole ), also a sign of white supremacy
- Bring the thumb and forefinger of both hands together to form a ring and place them on your own eyes (imitation of glasses): Invitation to look or read i. S. v. Understand
- Spread the index and middle fingers slightly and bring them close to your own eyes so that one finger is pointed at one eye - critical request to perceive something visually (and to act accordingly), example: "Read the operating instructions!"
- Put your thumb and forefinger on your chin: signals thoughtfulness
- Hold your thumb and forefinger to the bridge of your nose, while curling your eyebrows and possibly closing your eyes: strenuous thinking
- Put the thumb of the fist between the middle finger and forefinger - envious fig or fig hand ( sexual intercourse , rejection, playing with children (" stealing nose") or apotropaic act )
- Different finger signs: Mudra ("that which brings joy") - Buddhism
hands
Blessing priest hands , mosaic in the synagogue of Enschede
Lay on of hands at Pentecostal Movement , Kentucky 1946
- Hold your hand in front of your mouth - what is said should be withdrawn, laughter should be withheld, uncertainty in the matter
- Place the palms of the hands vertically on top of each other at the height of the upper body, neck or head - special greeting in South Asia , also used religiously ( cf.Namaste / Namaskar ( Hindus ), Gasshō (Japanese (including Zen ) Buddhists), Wai ( Thailand )), also as thanks
- Leisurely beat each other's fists against each other - a fist greeting , originally among Japanese men
- Draw the cross with the index and middle finger: tap on the forehead , then on the stomach, the left breast and then on the right breast: Sign of the cross - Catholics' commitment to faith in the Trinity
- Grasping one of the other's hands so that they lie inside each other: Shaking hands - greeting or agreement with something
- The palms of two people clap each other (at chest level: high five , English high five , German five fingers ) - greeting, especially when many people are greeted in a short time (star greets fans).
- Grasp hands (palms touch) - greeting, agreement or congratulation
- Extend and move your thumb and little finger: Hang Loose / Shaka - greeting among surfers / surfers (from Hawaii )
- Positioning one or both palms on or above someone else's head: laying on of hands - very ancient healing gesture and part of religious practice; in Buddhism it is impure to touch monks on the head
- Reach out one hand or both hands and point the palm of the hand forward at right angles to the floor - keep your distance
- Move the palm of the hand from top to bottom in front of another person's face, with the fingers pointing to the head end - supernatural transmission of a force or closing the eyes immediately after the death of a person
- Hit the palm of your hand on your forehead: Admission of your own stupidity or forgetfulness
- Put your hand on your face so that it covers the parts of it: facepalm
- Waving your hand towards your own body - a) show disinterest, b) show something as done or c) ask to come; there are two types of the latter: the palm of the hand points upwards (in the western world) and downwards (in the orient )
- dto., but over the shoulder: setting something down as void, declaring something done or expressing indifference to a matter
- Stretching the elbow outwards with the open palm: waving away from the body, "waving it away" - disinterest, disapproval, "Get away from me!"
- scratching the head without itching - embarrassment (often shown in the films Dick and Doof )
- Imitating yawning , responding to a conversation or situation - communicating boredom
- Smack palms against each other: clap -
- Applause as a sign of approval or praise (several times) or
- a request to start doing something (two or three times, usually with hands held up) or
- ironic: strong, almost insulting criticism (with excessively long intervals, example: someone carelessly destroys a valuable thing and the owner notices this)
- Clap hands powerfully and expansively in opposite directions - end / off ("Basta!")
- Hold up your arm and describe horizontal circular movements (only for the military ) - transmission signals as an order from the military leader to collect! the soldiers at this one
- Slapping fist or palm on the table - expressing anger / certainty or making a statement or forcefully emphasizing it
- Place both hands flat on the right and left on your own head: "Clap your hands over your head" - experience disaster or grief, express despair or similar.
- Carry out an ax-like movement with the edge of one hand (usually by hitting the other open palm) - to illustrate a caesura ( cut ), separation
- Move the middle of the horizontal palm from above against the tip of the vertical edge of the hand - interruption, pause, timeout
- Knock a fist on the side of an outstretched (own) hand several times - sexual intercourse (coarse) (in South Africa: underlining the word "full", translated also "a lot" or "over")
- The palm of the hand is directed towards the rail vehicle driver and describes a circle (so it cannot be confused with the usual waving) - stop immediately (no matter who gives the signal)
- Both palms face each other, slowly approach each other and finally hit each other - help with parking , the distance between the palms shows the distance between the two vehicles, clashing means stop
- One arm outstretched, the palm slightly curved - pleading gesture, begging
- Both palms are placed slightly curved on top of each other, as if one were scooping water - humility, pleading gesture
- Put both hands together in front of your chest, either with your fingers crossed or outstretched - pray
- Put both hands together with outstretched fingers and place them on the right or left of the head (like a pillow) and tilt the head slightly to one side - express tiredness or the desire to go to sleep
- waving the palm of the hand in front of your own face to the right and left: a windshield wiper gesture (also known as a "screen"), a sign of idiot - insult
- Thumb, as well as ring and little finger, are spread apart from the index finger with the middle finger: Aaronic blessing . The gesture is interpreted as a replica of the letter Shin of the Hebrew alphabet, which is supposed to represent the first letter of the word (El) Shaddai ("the Almighty").
- Mountza : stretching out all five fingers and stretching the palm (s) towards the other person - insult in Greece
Arms and shoulders
One-armed
- Raising the right arm diagonally upwards with outstretched hand: Hitler salute / Saluto romano - sympathy with National Socialism / Fascism ; also Olympic salute
- Hold outstretched palm to temple (fingers together and these diagonally upwards, arm angled about 45 degrees): military salute - respect or obedience (in Poland two fingers)
- Raise your arm and swing it right and left in front of you (increase: with arms): Waving - greeting, e.g. B. Farewell
- Extend one arm (bent) and move it horizontally back and forth - indecision
- Extend one arm or both arms and move them up and down - encouraging you to calm down or slow down
- Reach out one arm, place the hand of the other arm on the crook of the elbow and swing the forearm of the outstretched arm upwards like a lever - insult
- Arm (s) put on hip (s) with palm (s) turned outwards: Dominance gesture for men (also when sitting: put on thigh)
- Bend one arm to 90 ° and move it down powerfully - joy
- Hold your arm vertically upwards and show the palm of your hand (briefly), usually with your fingers spread, often connected with waving to the right and left - greeting from a distance
Two-armed
- Reach both arms in the sky - surrender, showing the lack of weapons or joy (e.g. Laola )
- Pull both shoulders up once or several times in quick succession: shrug armpits / shoulder - ignorance or indifference
- Fold your own palms together at chest, shoulder or face level: Wai - greeting from a valued person in Thailand
- Hug the upper body with both hands or with one hand: hug - greeting or expression of solidarity (the latter: sadness, joy, etc.)
- Extend both arms upwards (and thus form a Y): Signal to helicopter pilots or crews with the meaning "need help", "land here", "yes"
- Put one arm up, the other down (to represent an N): Signal to helicopter pilots or crews with the meaning "do not need help", "do not land", "no"
- Extend one arm forward and tap the wrist with the index finger of the other: What time is it?
head
- Move the head vertically up and down in usually rapid succession: nod
- - Agree / affirm something, cf. Nod or sign of a beginning (Central Europe)
- - Reject / deny something (Bulgaria, Greece, Albania): the head is thrown back; what looks like nodding is actually moving back to normal head position.
- Turning your head to the left and right in quick succession: Shaking your head - rejecting something (slowly: with regret). In some cultures, such as Bulgaria , Northern Greece , India or Sri Lanka , however, a slight shake of the head is understood as consent .
- wiggle your head to the right and left, in South Asia approval ( head bobble / head wobble )
- Slowly turn the head back and forth horizontally (often together with facial expressions that convey melancholy ) - expression of bewilderment
- Lower your head and look down and avoid any eye contact - a show of reverence (towards the other) or as a gesture of sadness or devotion
- slightly tilt the head of a conversation partner depending on the situation: relaxation in a tense situation (the direct, potentially aggressive double eye contact is interrupted); as a reaction to what has been said, sometimes with raised eyebrows, impatience or a question , are you serious? ; In a friendly environment or (potentially or actually) intimate situations ( flirtation ), this head position appears friendly and teasing .
legs
- Perform a kicking movement (symbolically) with one leg ( "kicking" like in football ) - chasing away a person or animal, partly due to strong rejection
- stamping one leg on the ground - energetically lending anger or a demand force, in the military also (actually) standing up
- jumping quickly from one leg to the other ( trapping , especially with children) - expression of joy, anticipation or impatience (with children also strong urge to urinate)
Feet
- While kneeling, kissing the top of a person's feet: foot kiss - especially humble gesture
- Step rhythmically with the tip of your toe on the floor: impatience
nose
-
Wrinkle
nose
- Expression of the rejection of a person and / or the perception of a smell that is perceived as unpleasant , what one would like to communicate.
eyes
- Deliberately opening and closing the eyelids of one or both eyes (possibly several times) and looking at a person: wink or blink - flirtation or mischievous comment
- Roll your eyes or turn your pupils up - getting tired of someone or something; be annoyed or frustrated
hull
The kneeling in Warsaw , an internationally understood gesture of humility: "On the abyss of German history and under the burden of millions of murdered people, I did what people do when the language fails." (Willy Brandt)
- While standing, bend your knees a little and nod your head slightly: curtsey - greeting from a woman (mostly only historical)
- Bend the upper body straight forward in front of a person while standing: Bowing - humility, thanks or greeting (the latter usually only historical)
- kneel on the ground in front of a ruler and touch the ground several times with his forehead: Kowtow - humility (Asia)
- where, hand or finger to kiss the mouth and then stretch it in the direction of the person to be greeted: Proskynesis - greeting in the ancient Orient
- Standing up during a greeting or while entering: gesture of courtesy (the lady usually does not get up, but always in the military)
Others
- Mouth touches another person's body (usually the lips or cheek): kiss , e.g. B. Socialist brotherly kiss - political sympathy, friendly or familiar greetings or affection
- Shape lips for kissing, but not kissing: kissable mouth , usually done by a woman
- Sit on your shins and put your head forward on the floor: Oranten position - intimate prayer or with asprirants at the climax of the priestly ordination in Catholicism
- Spitting on or out - energetic aversion (mostly related to the person or their misconduct, insulting if the recipient realizes this)
See also
Web links
Commons : Gestures - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Commons : Chinese number gesture - collection of pictures, videos, and audio files
- Illustrated Gang signs (Engl.)
- Typology of the gesture "grip on the wrist" ( page no longer available )
swell
- ↑ Kolarova Zornitza Lexicon of Bulgarian Everyday Gestures p. 119
- ↑ Rübchen scrape German Proverbs Lexicon .
- ↑ New Zealand shooting: Suspect shows court white power sign , The Times , March 16, 2019
- ^ 'A Coast Guard officer on Florence duty made a hand gesture on TV. Some saw a white-power sign ' , Washington Post , September 14, 2018
- ↑ Gestures and facial expressions - body language of eyes, mouth and hands. Retrieved December 14, 2019 .
- ↑ Video example Italian Hand Gestures PART 1, 0:59
- ↑ Joel S. Kaminsky, Joel N. Lohr: The Torah: A Beginner's Guide . Oneworld Publications, 2011, ISBN 978-1-78074-094-2 ( https://books.google.com/books?id= hYwjYCfS3b4C [accessed May 27, 2016]).
- ^ TU Dresden ( Memento from February 26, 2009 in the Internet Archive ): Professorship of German as a Foreign Language / Transcultural German Studies, Task 10: Misunderstandings (Dr. Ulrich Zeuner). Accessed June 6, 2009
- ↑ Example