How often do you move your hands when you speak?
You may not realize how many times you give the "go on" sign, or shrug your shoulders, or waving your hands.
We won't punish you for relaxing and unwinding. We will ask you to be careful when using typical German signs. Some signs won't bother anyone, but others may accidentally annoy an audience.
Understanding German Hand Movements Even though Germans are not known for their constant hand movements, they still use them.
Understanding German culture and language will allow you to avoid any socially thoughtless demonstrations. In Germany, for example, keeping in touch while speaking is considered a fundamental charm.
Here are the most important German movements you should know and avoid.
"Sign of "Approval". In the United States we give "approval", when we are mostly satisfied with something, or want to let someone know that you agree. Complete this by clenching your hand and raising your thumb. If you display this sign in Germany people will think that you are counting.
You should be familiar with this if you have seen the film "Inglourious basterds".
In a particular scene, an agent pretends to be a German soldier in a pub and raises his three middle finger. The Germans would have shown the number 3 by holding up their middle and index fingers near their thumb.
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Crossing your fingers in the United States is a simple way to demonstrate that you are hoping for Karma. If you do this in Germany people may fight to control you and look at you as engaging.
Germans prefer to press their thumbs instead of crossing their fingers. Instead of telling someone that you are crossing their fingers for them you could say "Ich drucke Dir kick the pail Daumen." The thumb is usually placed in the middle of the hand, and the fingers are arranged over it.
Pressing Your Sanctuary
You may have to tell someone (carelessly) that what they are saying is utterly stupid. You'll do it mostly among friends and family, and definitely not at work.
In Germany, you can do this by pressing your pointer against your forehead. In order to show how stupid they believe the speaker to be, most Germans will tap their sanctuary.
You can also continue to waving your hand before your face if you think that another gesture would better convey your opinion that the topic the speaker is addressing is absurd. You can use this gesture to convey "You have to mess with me!" Or, you could also say "You're completely insane."
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Hands in your Pockets
Many movements in the U.S. are considered rude. For example, things like keeping your middle finger raised at someone could cause offense. Did you know, however, that certain nonverbal communications you use without thinking could be truly antagonistic towards people from other nations?
You will appear to be particularly free in the present situation, if you are able to make progress in the U.S. with your hands in pockets. This is not true in German-speaking countries. In fact, if you were to tend to someone while your hands were in your pockets there, it would be considered rude and unpolite to the speaker.
When practicing your German speaking skills, keep your hands out your pockets. Otherwise, the person with whom you are talking might have the wrong impression.
Pulling down the lower eyelid
This is yet another German movement which has no equivalent in the States. It's not hard to tell that our English is funny by the way we speak. It's not fundamental to German, and jokes can sometimes be lost.
This is why Germans draw their lower eyelids down with their finger to emphasize their joke. Here is a picture of the finished product.
The Lower Arm Jerk
The "lower-arm jerk" is one of the movements you should not do in Germany. It is as rude as standing your middle finger apart. Lower arm jerks are done by first pushing your right lower hand up with your grip hand, and then hitting your left lower hand with your left. This is a phallic gesture that means "Screw You," "Get Out" or "Up Yours."
It can also have a more sexual significance, if you are told by the other person you love a particular woman.
The "Alright Sign"
The "Alright sign" is another positive sign we use when we are imparting information in English. This sign is so easy to make, all you need to do is contact the pointer and thumb to form an "O".
In fact, this sign has been used to indicate "okay" by many countries around the world. In Germany and other German-speaking countries, of course! The video below shows a model.
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