7 Hand Gestures That May Offend Around The World

As humans it’s our go-to communication to use our hands when trying to be understood when language fails, or if you happen to be in a car and someone cuts you up and you don’t happen to have large flash cards with profanities scribbled on in marker pen for such moments.

However the hand gestures we use, whether it be a peace sign, flicking the bird, or putting up your hand to say thank you, don’t always translate the same in other countries.

Here’s 7 hand gestures that may offend people in other countries.

You would think the “OK” hand signal would be universal, but guess what… in France if you make this gesture you’re actually saying that someone is worthless!

Keeping your fingers crossed may be a sign of hoping for the best in most countries, but in Vietnam it actually is the hand gesture for female genitals…

A casual thumbs up is probably what you’d do to ensure someone that things are all good, but in Afghanistan, Iran and parts of Italy and Greece, it’s actually a signal for saying “Up Yours!”

Whether you’re rocking out with devil horns or in Hawaii saying “Hang loose”, that’s all well and good for you, but in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Brazil, and Colombia you’re actually telling that person that they are an adulterer.

You might be thanking someone whilst crossing the road, or saying “Talk to the hand, ‘coz the face ain’t listening” but avoid showing your palm to people in Greece as this gesture traces back to the Byzantine era when criminals would have pooh and charcoal thrown at them using open palms… make sense doesn’t it?!