Popular Argentina Hand Gestures
A large part of the Argentine population are descendants of Italian immigrants, who came to this country during the late 1800s and early 1900s. You can see the Italian influences in many aspects of the Argentine culture: food, our passion about football (soccer), the way we relate with family among other. But one that is quite unique is when it comes to how they communicate. Italians are known for speaking with their hands, and this habit has passed onto their Argentine descendants.
To move around Argentina like a true local, this blog will help you decipher the hand gestures that are most used, which you can also pick up and use easily without causing any unfortunate misunderstandings!
1.馃馃徏 (Pinch fingers together): Are you kidding me?! / 驴Me est谩s cargando?
[Bring your fingers and thumb together and point them upward. Move your hand up and down from the wrist.]
A multipurpose gesture to express complete disbelief. 鈥樷橶hat the hell is wrong with you?!鈥欌
2. 馃拋馃徎鈥嶁檧锔 (Flick hand under chin): I don鈥檛 know / No se, ni idea.
[Stick out your lower lip, tilt your head back slightly and flick the back of your fingers from underneath your chin.]
A great one to use when someone asks you where the number 108 bus stops and you don鈥檛 have a clue! It can also be used as a sign of boredom or apathy, as if to say 鈥樷橠on鈥檛 know, don鈥檛 care, why are you still here?鈥欌
3.馃憢 (Wave hand behind head): A long time ago / Uff 隆hace mil a帽os!
When someone asks you about something that happened a long time ago it is common to use this expression to emphasize this idea. For example: 鈥淲hen was the last time we saw Clara from school? Uff, that was ages ago!鈥
4.馃憣(Make 鈥渃鈥 shape with fingers): Little coffee/ cortado
[Make a C sign with your fingers while signaling the waiter across the room.]
An incredibly useful gesture in busy cafes where you don鈥檛 actually need to talk to the waiter, but you need your coffee fixed muy pronto!
5.馃挭馃徏(Bend elbow): Cheapskate / 隆Qu茅 rat贸n!
[Pat your elbow with the palm of your hand.]
You organize an asado and ask people to pitch in with the meat. Then one of your friends turns up with nothing more than a handful of tomatoes. You are probably going to want to use this gesture to make it clear just how much of a cheapskate they are!
6.馃憜馃徏(Point to eye): Watch out! / 隆Ojo!
[Point to your eye and pull down your lower eyelid using your index finger.]
Be careful! Watch out or you鈥檒l get into some kind of trouble! Your Spanish teacher will probably use this protective gesture plenty of times in class, when you mistakenly use 鈥榓ctualmente鈥 instead of 鈥榚n realidad鈥.
7.馃馃徏 (Wave hand, palm down): So-so / Maso menos
When you need to talk about something that is not really defined, it鈥檚 in the middle and you can鈥檛 decide. For example, 鈥淚鈥檓 not feeling quite well, I'm so-so"
So next time you are practicing your Spanish, be it in class or outside of school, pay attention to see if you can spot some of the gestures you have learnt here. You can then even start to incorporate them into your own conversations too!
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