Knowledge of body language (the meaning of various gestures, facial expressions, etc.) is mandatory in the West for managers, starting from middle management. This article gives the meaning of only a very few gestures out of all their diversity.
Gestures of openness. Among them are the following: Open hands with palms up / a gesture associated with sincerity and openness /, a shrug accompanied by a gesture of open hands / indicates openness of nature/, unbuttoning a jacket / people who are open and friendly towards you often unbutton their jacket during a conversation and even remove it in your presence/. For example, when children are proud of their achievements, they openly show their hands, and when they feel guilty or wary, they hide their hands either in their pockets or behind their backs. Experts also noticed that during successful negotiations, their participants unbutton their jackets, straighten their legs, and move to the edge of the chair close to the table, which separates them from the interlocutor.
Gestures of protection /defensive/. They respond to possible threats and conflict situations. When we see that the interlocutor has his arms crossed on his chest, we should reconsider what we are doing or saying, because he begins to move away from the discussion. Hands clenched into fists also mean a defensive reaction from the speaker.
Gestures of appreciation . They express thoughtfulness and dreaminess. For example, the “hand on cheek” gesture - people resting their cheek on their hand are usually immersed in deep thought. A gesture of critical assessment - the chin rests on the palm. the index finger is extended along the cheek, the remaining fingers are below the mouth / “wait and see” position/. A person sits on the edge of a chair, elbows on hips, arms hanging freely / “this is wonderful!” position. A bowed head is a gesture of attentive listening. So, if the majority of listeners in the audience do not have their heads bowed, it means that the group as a whole is not interested in the material that the teacher is presenting. Scratching the chin / "okay, let's think about it" gesture / is used when a person is busy making a decision. Gestures about glasses / wipes glasses, takes the frame of glasses into the mouth, etc. / - this is a pause for reflection. reflecting on one's position before more vigorously resisting, asking for clarification or raising a question.
pacing . - a gesture indicating an attempt to solve a complex problem or make a difficult decision. Pinching the bridge of the nose is a gesture, usually combined with closed eyes, and indicates deep concentration of intense thought.
Gestures of boredom . They are expressed by tapping your foot on the floor or clicking the cap of a pen. Head in the palm of your hand. Automatic drawing on paper. Empty look / “I look at you, but I don’t listen” /.
Gestures of courtship, "preening" . For women, they look like smoothing their hair, straightening their hair, clothes, looking at themselves in the mirror and turning in front of it; swaying your hips, slowly crossing and spreading your legs in front of a man, stroking yourself on your calves, knees, thighs; balancing shoes on the tips of the fingers / “in your presence I feel comfortable” /, for men - adjusting a tie, cufflinks, jacket, straightening the whole body, moving the chin up and down, etc.
Gestures of suspicion and secrecy . The hand covers the mouth - the interlocutor carefully hides his position on the issue under discussion. Looking to the side is an indicator of secrecy. The legs or the whole body are facing the exit - a sure sign that the person wants to end the conversation or meeting. Touching or rubbing your nose index finger- sign of doubt / other varieties of this gesture - rubbing the index finger behind the ear or in front of the ear, rubbing the eyes /
Gestures of dominance and submission. Superiority can be expressed in a welcoming handshake. When a person shakes your hand firmly and turns it so that his palm rests on top of yours, he is trying to express something like physical superiority. And, conversely, when he extends his hand with his palm up, it means he is ready to accept a subordinate role. When the interlocutor’s hand is casually tucked into his jacket pocket during a conversation, and his thumb is outside, this expresses the person’s confidence in his superiority.
Gestures of readiness . Hands on hips are the first sign of readiness (this can often be observed in athletes waiting for their turn to perform). A variation of this pose in a sitting position - a person sits on the edge of a chair, the elbow of one hand and the palm of the other resting on the knees / this is how they sit immediately before concluding an agreement or. on the contrary, before getting up and leaving/.
Reinsurance gestures . Different finger movements reflect different sensations: uncertainty, internal conflict, fears. In this case, the child sucks his finger, the teenager bites his nails, and the adult often replaces his finger with a fountain pen or pencil and bites them. Other gestures of this group are interlocking fingers, with the thumbs rubbing each other; pinching of the skin; touching the back of a chair before sitting down in a gathering of other people.
For women, a typical gesture of instilling inner confidence is a slow and graceful raising of the hand to the neck.
Gestures of frustration. They are characterized by short, intermittent breathing, often accompanied by unclear sounds such as moaning, mooing, etc. someone who does not notice the moment when his opponent begins to breathe rapidly and continues to prove his point may run into trouble/; tightly entwined, tense hands - a gesture of distrust and suspicion / one who tries, by clasping his hands, to assure others of his sincerity, usually does not succeed /, the hands are closely clasped together - this means the person is in a “trouble”, for example, must answer a question . containing a serious accusation against him/; stroking the neck with the palm /in many cases when a person is defending himself/ - women usually adjust their hair in these situations.
Gestures of trust . The fingers are connected like the dome of a temple / "dome" gesture/, which means trust and some self-satisfaction, selfishness or pride / a very common gesture in boss-subordinate relationships/.
Gestures of authoritarianism. The hands are connected behind the back, the chin is raised (this is how army commanders, police officers, and senior leaders often stand). In general, if you want to make your superiority clear, you just need to physically rise above your opponent - sit above him if you are talking while sitting, or maybe stand in front of him.
Gestures of nervousness . Coughing, clearing the throat /those who often do this feel insecure, anxious/, elbows are placed on the table, forming a pyramid, the top of which is the hands located directly in front of the mouth / such people play “cat and mouse” with partners while they do not give them the opportunity to “reveal their cards,” which is indicated by moving their hands away from their mouths onto the table, jingling coins in their pockets, indicating concern about the availability or lack of money; tugging at one's ear is a sign that the interlocutor wants to interrupt the conversation, but is restraining himself.
Gestures of self-control. Hands placed behind the back and tightly clenched. Another pose - sitting in a chair, a person crossed his ankles and grabbed the armrests with his hands / typical for waiting for an appointment with the dentist /. The gestures of this group signal a desire to deal with strong feelings and emotions.
We often see in foreign films and TV series how characters ask each other to high-five or bump fists as a sign of approval. How does it sound in the original and what is hidden behind such simple movements? Let's look at the most popular gestures so as not to get into trouble.
✓ The simplest and most popular is probably “high five”, or in Russian “high five!” You raise your hand and clap it against the other person's palm as a sign of support. Sometimes this gesture is reinforced with the words “Give me five” or “High five”. There are many varieties of high five. Here are the most popular ones:
1) "air five"
This is the same high five, only without physical contact. For example, if your interlocutor is in another corner of the room, but he still appreciated your joke and wants to high five. Air five is also known as “wi-five”, hinting at wi-fi with this play on words.
2) “self high five”
It's a slightly sad high five, when no one gives you a high five, but you really want to get one and you have to high five yourself.
3) “double high five”, also known as “high ten”
Sometimes something so wonderful happens that it's like a high five! it is no longer enough, and you need to give all “ten”. “Double high five” is performed like “high five” with both hands at the same time.
4)"low five"
This is the same clap of palm against palm, only performed at waist level. It is believed that “low five” has the same meaning as “high five”.
✓
Tired of high five? Try it “fist bump”! A fist bump is a gesture in which you hit the other person's fist with the knuckles of your fist, but hit it gently. Fist bump should not turn into a banal fight. With this gesture you express your respect and joy. Fist bump can also sometimes be used as a greeting. Synonyms of this word can be brofist, power five And fist pound.
✓ Do you like sarcasm and irony? Then the gesture “air quotes” just for you. This gesture is performed with both hands. You need to draw “virtual quotes” with your index and middle fingers. Typically you use quotation marks at the beginning and end of a phrase. Often, thanks to such quotation marks, the interlocutor will understand that you are using the word sarcastically and actually mean something completely different. “Air quotes” can also be called “finger quotes”.
✓
Do you want to show someone that they are a loser? There is also a special sign for this (and not the one you thought about). You should draw a big letter L and the person will immediately understand that we are talking about Loser(Loser - loser, loser). In order to show a big L, you just need to bend your little finger, ring finger, middle finger and stick out your index finger with your thumb. Now your letter L is ready. 
✓ If your friend talks a lot, you should learn two new signs. This - “Talk to the hand” And “blah-blah gesture”. “Blah-blah gesture” is used when you show that a person talks a lot and you are already tired of him. Use your hand to depict a mouth that speaks tirelessly, yawn exhaustedly and that’s it! The person must understand that he has already exhausted you with unnecessary details.
“Talk to the hand” is depicted when you want to interrupt the flow of your interlocutor’s speech, showing that you seem to be very busy. Put your hand forward in a prohibiting gesture and let your interlocutor speak with your hand.
✓ “Thumbs up” And “Thumbs down” are known from Ancient Rome. A thumbs up meant the gladiator would live, and a thumbs down meant the gladiator would die. Now everything is, of course, less tragic. But if they show you a thumbs up or “Thumbs up”, it means that everything is fine, but a thumbs down (“Thumbs down”) means failure.
✓
They say that the next sign has come to us since the Second World War. Then it meant “Victory”. Now V sign stands for peace and is very often used in photographs. This gesture is shown with the index and middle fingers pointing upward in a "V" shape. 
✓ Rock sign. This gesture will be useful to you at a rock concert (Although then, of course, you have already known it for a long time). This sign is also called “Sign of the horns”. In Russian it is known as "goat" or "raspaltsovka". This "rocker goat" is used as a sign of approval for the performer of rock songs.
This is just a rough list of gestures popular in English-speaking countries. Watch TV series, talk to native speakers and learn something new about English every day. Then they will only show you “thumbs up”, give you “high five” and no one will even remember about “Loser gesture”.
Shutikova Anna
Irina Fursova
Facial expressions and gestures are what speak most accurately and truthfully about the inner mental state of a person. It is probably only thanks to this that children capture the mood of their parents so well and are able to manipulate them for their own purposes. But what about the elders? Are they really losing such a useful gift, and can no longer " read between the lines"and understand how the opponent treats him, and what exactly is he thinking about at the time of the conversation?
There is no need to get upset ahead of time, because everything lost and forgotten can be safely returned through specific training, or much easier - by reading this article.
Why hands?
Do you know that it is gestures that can give a person away? Yes, yes! We are accustomed to monitoring the emotions that are expressed on our faces. That’s why we’ve learned to tame the twitching facial muscles when we feel uncomfortable or need to pretend to be indifferent.
Remember for yourself how many tightly clenched lips, forced smiles and unnaturally smoothed bitter folds around your mouth you encounter throughout the day. A lot, isn't it? And all because controlling your face is already a habit, but many people simply forget about their hands.
It is they who betray true emotions and even intentions, and those who know the meaning of finger gestures and hand movements are able to “see through” their opponent and shamelessly “count” true thoughts.
The most common movements
Psychology that interprets the hidden subtext of hand gestures makes it possible to quickly obtain all necessary information about a person, to understand whether it is worth dealing with him or whether it is better to avoid him.
The position and movements of the hands can reveal very interesting things, namely:
- When the fingers are completely straight and pressed tightly together, the interlocutor intends to mercilessly achieve the task at hand, he does not care about sentiment, and he will be persistent until the very end;
- If the opponent sits with his head slightly tilted to the side, his hands resting on his knees, and the pads of all his fingers touching, then we can judge the competence of the interlocutor, his attentiveness and ability to analyze;
- Inconspicuous and thoughtless gestures with both hands that a person makes behind his back mean that he is not interested in your company, and his head is completely occupied with his thoughts;
- When the opponent leans forward with his whole body, puts one hand on his knee, and stretches the other forward, and at the same time his fingers are gathered together, and his index finger is straightened, as if poking at something, then we are talking about direct aggression. You need to be on your guard because the interlocutor is trying to catch you in a lie;
- It may seem that hands hidden under the arms can show a person's confidence in his abilities and words. In fact, she is ostentatious.
What can your hands tell you?
The gestures that a person makes with his hands tell a lot about him. We don’t even notice how we scratch the back of our heads, cross our limbs on our chest or hide them behind our back, while our opponent easily interprets all these movements and forms his own opinion.
Indeed, all these are typical manipulations inherent in anyone, they are done unconsciously and reveal the most intimate character traits.
We suggest studying the meaning of human hand gestures that occur most often:
The list you have seen is far from complete. The science of gestures is interesting, exciting and truly useful. Having comprehended it, you get the opportunity to receive certain parallel messages from your interlocutor and understand how much they coincide with the main ones.
In everyday life, people constantly accompany their speech with hand movements and facial expressions. Most often this happens unconsciously, but sometimes gestures are used intentionally to enhance the emotional and expressive coloring of words, to demonstrate one’s mood, attitude towards the situation or interlocutor. Having studied some finger gestures and their meaning, you can succinctly formulate any message and quickly convey it to others, as the deaf and dumb do. Let's look at the most common signs and explain their meaning.
Thumbs up and down
With a gesture thumbs up Everyone has known each other almost since childhood. Usually it symbolizes approval or agreement, accompanied by an appropriate nod, so it is always perceived positively in our country. Often used by voting travelers on the road when it is necessary to stop transport. However, you need to be careful when using your fingers to communicate with foreigners, because in the sign language of the inhabitants of Australia, Greece and Great Britain such a sign is regarded as an obscene expression, and among Arabs it is generally associated with the male genital organ.
When thumb down, the gesture takes on the opposite meaning - that is, an expression of dissatisfaction, dissatisfaction. Today it is reflected in social networks and YouTube channel. The pictogram depicting it is called a “dislike”.
Index finger
The next gesture is not so unambiguous and is deciphered depending on the situation, taking into account additional signals. This is the index finger up. There are several options for its interpretation:
- applied to the center of the lips - asked to remain silent;
- raised vertically at head level or higher - require attention or stop immediately;
- move it from side to side - express their disagreement or prohibition;
- shake up and down - teach or threaten with punishment;
- twisted at the temple - they show that the person is out of his mind.
By his position during a conversation, they determine whether a person is telling the truth or lying. If, for example, the eyes are looking in one direction, and the index finger is pointing in the other and slightly bent, then the interlocutor is most likely insincere.
Middle finger up
Since the times of ancient Rome, in almost all civilized countries the meaning of the middle finger gesture has been indecent and offensive. Extended upward, it symbolizes today the male genital organ. This is a rough form of the phrase "Get out!" or “Fuck off!” among young people. In our country, it is borrowed from cool American action films and vulgar 18+ youth comedies.
Crossing your fingers
The hand is very often used by superstitious people as a magical tool that can scare away evil spirits and attract good luck. In their understanding, crossed fingers (index and middle) have protective power. This gesture signifies the unity of faith and strength and is associated with the cross. One of the fingers symbolizes hope for a better outcome, and the other - help and support. Sometimes they are intertwined on both hands and hidden behind the back in order to lie, but at the same time avoid punishment from higher powers.
Research by British scientists from University College proves that such actions are not unfounded. They even found scientific confirmation. In their opinion, the gesture really helps reduce pain. But don’t even think about showing it to a Vietnamese unless you want to seriously offend him.
Two fingers up V – victory
In Russia and many other European countries, the gesture of two fingers with an open palm means absolute victory or confidence in the proximity of its achievement. This is due to the fact that the index and middle fingers, pointing high, look like the letter V. That, in turn, is an abbreviation for the Latin word Victoria - victory. For the first time in the world, the sign was used by Winston Churchill. However, it is also not universal for everyone. The British, Australians and New Zealanders will consider the gesture an insult if the back of the hand is turned towards them. In Russia, this option is interpreted as the number 2.
Three fingers up
It is known that during the Second World War, German soldiers greeted the commander-in-chief during the oath by showing three fingers at the same time - thumb, index and middle. In the Russian mind, this sign means the number or quantity 3.
Goat
Few people know that the gesture in which all fingers are clenched into a fist, except for the index and little fingers, is attributed protective properties, so it is often used by magicians when performing mystical rituals. However, thanks to rock stars, he is more familiar to people as the “rocker goat.” In combination with a protruding tongue, it expresses insolence or a state of madness.
In Russia, “goat” can be deciphered to demonstrate one’s power and superiority over others. It also serves as a comic imitation of butting cattle.
Shaka and tongue between fingers
Many people associate a hand clenched into a fist with a protruding thumb and little finger near the ear with telephone conversation, a request or promise to call back. But if the action is accompanied by a characteristic tilt of the head or touching the little finger to the lips, then it takes on a different meaning associated with a call to drink alcoholic beverages and use narcotic cigarettes.
In Hawaii, "Shaka" is seen as a sign of greeting. It is popular among athletes in surfing, skydiving and Brazilian jiu-jitsu wrestling. It is also used to express jubilation by some famous football players who have scored a goal.
OK
The generally accepted meaning of the gesture is to notify others that there is no problem and everything is fine. The residents' favorite sign. However, in Turkey it is offensive to those to whom it is addressed, as it implies an accusation of non-traditional sexual orientation.
Fig or fig
Russians have a curled fist with the thumb sticking out between the other two - this is a contemptuous form of refusal. IN ancient Rus' The fig symbolized coitus and could be used to ward off evil spirits. There are several other names - shish, fig, dulya. But if for a resident of Russia it means an insult, mockery, then for a Brazilian it means protection from the evil eye or a talisman to attract good luck. That is why you can find pendants, pendants and figurines depicting figs there.
Spire folded with fingertips
As psychologists note, balanced individuals who are confident in their strengths and their own competence connect their fingertips with a “house”. A spiel can mean thinking at the moment of making an important decision or demonstrate increased interest in the words of the interlocutor.
In the practice of yoga, the fingertips closed in rings help to meditate, find peace, and focus on the main thing.
Rubbing the tips of others with your thumb
Such manipulation can be seen in crime films. It means banknotes that are virtually crunchy in your hands. Another such gesture is used at a time when you need to clarify your thought, or urgently remember something, but it just doesn’t work.
Interlocked fingers
The hands clenched into a lock serve as a kind of psychological barrier. Can inform about various human conditions:
- on the head - anxiety, confusion, shock;
- on the knees - hidden tension, stiffness;
- in front of you, while your head is directed upward - an expression of distrust of the information provided, disagreement with the opinion expressed.
Agree with business partner, whose fingers are tightly clasped in a lock, it is very difficult. To help him relax, you need to invite him to watch something and then try to discuss the issue again.
In most countries, an outstretched palm means “stop.” In a conversation, a gesture formulates a request to stop, to stop doing something.
It is also a sign of greeting people and saying goodbye to them. Depends on what the situation is. However, the Greeks use such a friendly five to express negative emotions. Namely, the desire to move on the face. They call this manipulation munza, and it has a funny origin story. Thus, at the dawn of the Byzantine Empire, the judge had a way of humiliating punishment of petty criminals - smearing ashes on the face of the offender.
Inviting gesture with index finger
With a bent finger extended forward, people most often call to themselves someone with whom they want to sort things out. It is perceived by a person as a joke, but sometimes it can offend. It is a sign of a lack of culture among those who use it.
Fist
Clenching a fist shows strong tension, readiness to repel an enemy's attack, and also means an open threat, an intention to hit in the face. Symbolizes power.
Russian and English alphabet with gestures
The language of the deaf and mute is the main way they interact with the outside world. It allows people with hearing and speech impairments to communicate. Each gesture corresponds to a letter of the alphabet or a word. This can be presented more clearly in the form of a table.
As you can see, the same gestures can be interpreted in different ways. This is why they should be interpreted as a system and not individually. And only use it when appropriate.
Gestures, like speech and facial expressions, are an integral part of our lives. There are many different gestures that are performed using the hands or fingers, but the meanings of some of them may differ from each other in different regions, countries, and may not be often used in everyday life. Therefore, you should know and learn to recognize the basic frequently used hand and finger gestures.
Basic groups of gestures
The main groups of gestures include:
Reinsurance
These gestures are aimed at trying to cope with one's fears of some kind. These may include biting fingertips, knuckles or nails (insecurity), rubbing thumbs together with palms closed, rubbing the neck and picking the skin.
Readiness
Gestures of readiness express the desire to quickly end the conversation and leave or carry out the proposed action. These can be hands pressed along the body or in sitting position one hand rests the palm on the knee, and the other on the elbow.
Frustration
A state of the body in which desires do not correspond to available capabilities, and as a result - a disorder of the normal mental state of the body. Gestures of frustration include rapid breathing, fingers clasped and tense (until the knuckles turn white), the palm of one hand clenching the fist of the other, tense stroking of the neck or hair.
Gullibility
Gestures of trust are aimed at the favor of the interlocutor; you can often see them in “boss-subordinate” relationships. The use of this gesture indicates absolute confidence in your own words. These gestures are characterized by palms folded into a dome, the chin being supported by folded palms, the fingers can be pressed tightly or connected at the tips, respectively, in pairs.
Authoritarianism
Authoritarianism is the desire to subjugate an opponent. She is characterized by aggressiveness, cruelty, and an inflated level of self-esteem. Gestures of authoritarianism include hands folded behind the back with the chin raised high, and the desire to be “above” the interlocutor with one’s entire appearance.
Nervousness
Gestures that are considered nervous show anxiety and concern of the one who shows them. Gestures of nervousness include covering the mouth with the palm and waiting for a reaction to what was said, arms raised in a pyramid and the mouth covered with the palms in this position, or frequent changes in the position of the palms and arms.
Self-control
Gestures of self-control are aimed at maintaining peace of mind and restraining the desire to hit your interlocutor or perform some action that is better to restrain yourself from. This could be putting your hands behind your back (one palm tightly squeezing the other) or squeezing the armrests of a chair until your knuckles turn white.
Dominance and Submission
Such gestures are aimed at expressing superiority (both physical and mental). Most often, dominance can be noticed during a handshake (a handshake with force, the opponent turning his palm slightly so that it is on top). Also, the hand can be in the pocket and the finger remains outside, or the hands are folded on the chest with the fingers extended.
Secrecy and suspicion
These gestures appear when your interlocutor does not have the slightest desire to continue conversations, wants to leave quickly, or simply does not trust. Such gestures include clasping the mouth with the palm and looking from under the forehead or eyes averted to the side, rubbing the bridge of the nose, forehead or ear with the index finger.
Preening
Preening or courtship is aimed at the desire to interest the interlocutor of the opposite sex, showing the comfort of being in his company. This could be smoothing your hair, a relaxed pose with your hands resting loosely on your knees, straightening or loosening a tie, stroking a jacket or jacket.
pacing
Different ways of walking correspond to different human states. Ragged pacing and active hand gestures indicate nervousness; uniform and rhythmic pacing is characteristic of a person actively moving towards his goals; a shuffling gait indicates laziness and uncertainty; uniform, fast pacing with hands folded behind the back indicates waiting.
Boredom
Gestures of boredom are quite easy to recognize. Blank look, lack of reaction to environment, mindless drawing on paper, clicking a pen - this is a group of gestures of boredom.
Grade
Evaluating gestures show a person to be thoughtful and dreamy. They can be divided into gestures:
- interest (propping the cheek, scratching the chin and bridge of the nose, index finger on the chin, the rest along the neck, arms hanging loosely on something, leaning on something);
- disinterest (head down, hands clasped around the neck).
Protection
Protective and defensive gestures are used during threats and stressful situations. The arms are folded on the chest, the palms are clenched into a fist - this is a gesture of protection.
Openness
If a person is open to others, then the gestures accompanying his words will indicate a disposition towards the opponent in the conversation. Open palms, shrugging (accompanied by opening the palms and moving them to the sides) - this can be attributed to openness.
Popular gestures
Gesticulation in conversation is very common, but the meaning of some movements may not be entirely clear, or simply unnoticed. Frequently used gestures include the following:
Thumbs up and down
The most common meaning of these gestures is approval and disapproval. But there are cases of using these gestures with another designation. For example, you can stop a vehicle with your thumb. A sharp thumbs up among the British and Australians will look offensive and judgmental of sexual orientation. In Greece, you can “send” with the same gesture, but among the Arabs it is associated with the male phallus. Also, among Russians, British and Australians, a raised finger means the number “5”, and among Italians the number “1”.
Index finger
The name of this finger speaks for itself. A finger pressed to the lips - “silence”, raised up - “attention”, raised up and swaying left and right - denial, a raised finger and swaying up and down - a threat or a lesson. If a finger is twisted at the temple, then this is a sign of a fool. In Iran, the palm is turned up and the index finger is raised - “Fuck you.”
Middle finger
The middle finger held vertically and the thumb extended to the side or pressed against the palm is considered an insult in many countries, and means “Fuck you...”. In the Middle Ages, the middle finger was used to define a passive homosexual. This gesture is one of the oldest with originally preserved meaning.
Two fingers or "V" sign
Fingers forming the letter “V” with the back of the palm facing the pointing hand means “Victory” in European countries and in Russia in particular. If, when showing this combination of fingers, the palm is turned towards you, then this means the number “2”, but it is worth considering that in some countries (Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand) such gestures are an insult to preferences of an intimate nature.
Three fingers
Three protruding fingers everywhere indicate the number “3”, regardless of the rotation of the palm. During World War II, the Germans used this as a greeting for the commander-in-chief when taking the oath of office. Now this sign expresses the word “Victory”.
"Goat" gesture and tongue between fingers
“Goat” is popularly used to protect against the evil eye. Better known as the "rocker goat", the tongue between the fingers carries a more cheeky meaning of such gestures. In Russia, this gesture is used to denote a cuckold and to intimidate children with a “horned goat.” If the “goat” is shown to someone, gradually approaching, then this means that an attack is about to occur.
Thumb and little finger or "Shaka" gesture
The most commonly used designation for this movement is “Call me.” If with this combination the thumb is raised to the lips and the head is thrown back sharply, then this is an offer to drink, and for drug addicts this gesture (without tilting the head) means to smoke. In Asian countries, “Shaka” is the number “6”, in Colombia it is a wish for good luck, and in Hawaii, among extreme athletes it is considered a greeting.
Ok or ring fingers
The most common meaning is “Everything is normal” (OK). This gesture came into use from America. And also the meaning of the index and thumb, folded in a ring, is the number “0”, for the Japanese this sign means money, and for the Italians it means “Worthless”. If you show such a gesture to residents of Mediterranean countries, then you will offend the person by considering him a representative of a non-traditional orientation.
Interlocked fingers
Interlocked fingers indicate a person who is very difficult to convince of something; intertwined fingers are a “barrier” between opponents. Depression, protest, hostility (depending on the strength of squeezing the fingers), self-doubt are also designations for such a gesture. To convince a person of your point of view, you need to try to unfasten his fingers, for example, by giving him something in his hands for consideration.
Rubbing the tips of others with your thumb
This gesture means “Money” or the expectation of monetary reward for a service rendered, showing, as it were, rubbing a bill between the fingers, checking its authenticity. Sometimes this gesture is used when trying to remember something, and if successful, it is accompanied by a snap of the fingers. If rubbing the fingers occurs with effort, then this means restraining raging emotions.
Intertwined fingers
Two crossed fingers imply protection from the evil eye, or the hope of hiding deception, as well as good luck. Basically, the fingers are intertwined on both hands and hidden from the opponent in the pockets or behind the back. In Vietnam, with this gesture you will insult your interlocutor.
Closed thumb and index fingers
The use of closed fingers is subconsciously aimed at focusing the interlocutor’s attention on important aspect conversation. This gesture is accompanied by a movement of the hand back and forth, and the palm is directed towards oneself.
United fingertips
The fingertips connected to each other mean a person who is confident in his words. There are two options for connecting the fingers: the first, when the “spire” is directed upward (speaking), the second, when the “spire” is directed downward (listening). When, during a conversation, the opponent touches his fingertips, this indicates that he has already made a decision on your question, and crossing his arms or legs at that moment means a probable refusal. The most famous person who constantly uses it is German Chancellor Angela Dorothea Merkel.
Gesture of humility on icons
A well-known sign depicted on Christian icons, meaning “humility” (interpretation “blessing”). In this gesture, the fingers are folded in a specific way, in which the tip of the thumb touches the tip of the ring finger, and the middle and index fingers are slightly raised up, while the hand itself is folded on the chest and bent at the elbow. To reveal the true biblical meaning of this gesture, it is necessary to turn to religious literature. This gesture is believed to be a blessing.
Rubbing a finger on other parts of the body
Rubbing the chin, forehead or middle part of the head determines - thinking, back of the head - at this moment the interlocutor does not know what is being said. If the opponent rubs his nose with his fingers, then this means uncertainty, and if he fiddles with his ears, cheeks or buttons with his fingers, then this is an indicator of secrecy or an attempt to deceive.
Hands behind your back
If your interlocutor’s hands are clasped behind his back, then he is trying to calm down and pull himself together. But the most common interpretation of this gesture is that a person is confident in himself and his abilities. Scientists have proven that if you put your hands behind your back in any stressful situation, it will become much easier, tension will disappear and confidence will increase.
Hands in trouser pockets
Hidden hands indicate that your interlocutor is trying to hide something, lie, or is simply not interested in your conversation. How open your arms, the “purer” your interlocutor’s thoughts are. These actions should not be confused with hiding your hands in your pockets in the cold. If your opponent constantly keeps his hands in his pockets in any situation, then it is probably just a habit.
Russian alphabet in sign language
The alphabet of the deaf has its own specific sign, corresponding to the usual letters from our alphabet. There is nothing difficult about recognizing these “letters”. Basically, letters show names, titles and rare words for which there are no signs. Gestures can be used to show both individual letters and entire words. In total there are about 2000 “words” of gestures.
Loading...
