{"id":182256,"date":"2017-12-04T16:35:39","date_gmt":"2017-12-04T21:35:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/chinese-gestures\/"},"modified":"2025-01-29T00:28:37","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T05:28:37","slug":"chinese-gestures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/chinese\/chinese-gestures\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Chinese Hand Gestures You Can Learn Today"},"content":{"rendered":"

What’s the most insulting gesture you can think of? Well, that probably depends on the culture. Learning about body language and gestures is a necessary part of communicating fluently<\/a> with native speakers.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of moves a Chinese person could make that would leave the unfamiliar traveler scratching their head. Here you’ll find some common Chinese hand gestures,<\/strong> plus a few you should avoid<\/strong> for the sake of manners.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

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1. Beckon with a down-turned palm<\/h2>\n

Westerners will sometimes use their index finger to tell someone to “come here,” but that’s not how it’s done in many Chinese-speaking cultures.<\/p>\n

To signal someone to “come here,”<\/strong> pull your fingers in a down-turned or sideways palm towards your body. This will almost look like a cat pawing at something.<\/p>\n

This is a gesture mostly used among friends and young people. This motion wouldn’t be the best to use when communicating with your Chinese boss or superior. In a case like that, try to establish eye contact with the person and bow slightly.<\/strong> This is a much more formal beckoning gesture.<\/p>\n

2. Place your chopsticks on top of your bowl<\/h2>\n

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Instead of sticking your chopsticks into your dish bowl or laying them on a napkin when you’re done eating, it’s customary to place chopsticks that aren’t in use horizontally on top of your bowl.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Chinese-speaking cultures (as well as several other Southeast Asian cultures) it’s a big no-no to stick your chopsticks upright into your rice while dining<\/a> with others.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This mimics the appearance of funeral incense and is considered a sort of “death” omen. Younger generations don’t mind it as much\u2014but doing this will still make you look a bit ignorant.<\/p>\n

3. Present and accept gifts with both hands<\/h2>\n

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When offered a gift, don’t snatch it up with one hand. Take the box or bag with both of your hands.<\/strong> The same goes for offering a gift\u2014don’t offer it with just one hand, no matter how small the gift.<\/p>\n

You should also do this when you accept or offer business cards. You want to make sure your potential business associate remembers you for the right reasons, so be sure to use both hands.<\/p>\n

4. Keep greetings formal<\/h2>\n

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Are you a big hugger? Sadly, this may not go over so well in China.\u00a0Hugging, kissing cheeks, back-slapping or reaching out to touch a pin or tie before complimenting it are all major no-nos.<\/p>\n

Nodding with a polite smile or shaking hands are preferred gestures when greeting someone,<\/strong> rather than friendly hugs.<\/p>\n

Additionally, try to greet the oldest person first if you’re meeting a family<\/a> or group of people. (Although, again, younger Chinese people don’t care so much about this.)<\/p>\n

5. Stand up for a toast<\/h2>\n

\"cheers<\/a><\/p>\n

When having a beer or throwing back a shot during a Chinese toast, stand up or tap the table with your palm somewhat loudly while drinking.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is considered a more participatory, social way of making a toast at a party or business venture<\/a>. Make sure you toast everybody at the table before drinking, too.<\/p>\n

While the default Chinese toast literally means “dry cup,” it’s used in the same way as “Cheers”: \u5e72\u676f\uff01<\/strong>\u00a0(g\u0101n b\u0113i!)<\/i><\/p>\n

6. Point to your nose<\/h2>\n

\"woman<\/a><\/p>\n

In Western cultures, people often touch their chest when referring to themselves. In China, you should point to your nose<\/a> when referring to yourself.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Also, don’t touch someone else’s schnoz. It’s rude.<\/p>\n

Of course, this may take some getting used to because, in places like Australia and New Zealand, this nose-touching gesture is a sort of wry one. While in the United States, this may be seen as a gesture for thinking.<\/p>\n

7. Counting on your hands<\/h2>\n

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In China, people don’t use both of their hands to count to 10 like we do in America (and many other countries). Instead, they use only one hand to count to 10.<\/p>\n

The first numbers 1-5 are the same as the typical “American” hand gestures we’re used to when counting\u2014sticking one finger up one by one. But once you pass five, specific hand gestures are used to represent numbers 6-10.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Watch the video above for a quick 25-second tutorial of all the Chinese hand gestures for numbers 1-10.<\/p>\n

8. Fist and palm salute<\/h2>\n

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Chinese people make a fist with their right hand and then put their left hand around it\u2014covering the top of the fist\u2014as a way to greet people and show respect. It’s known as \u62f1\u624b<\/strong>\u00a0(g\u01d2ng sh\u01d2u)<\/em> or \u4f5c\u63d6<\/strong>\u00a0(zu\u00f2 y\u012b)<\/em> in Mandarin.<\/p>\n

You’ll see this very often at events like weddings and Spring Festival. It’s also used to show gratitude. Check out the video above to see it used in several contexts.<\/p>\n

9. Use an open hand to point at someone<\/h2>\n

It’s rude to point your finger at someone in China\u2014which is also considered rude in most English-speaking countries. Instead, if you need to point at someone, gesture at them with an open hand and use your whole hand.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can see this demonstrated in this video, which also teaches you more Chinese hand gestures:<\/p>\n

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Gestures to Avoid in Chinese<\/h2>\n

Here are some gestures you should stay away from so that you make the best possible impression on your Chinese friends and acquaintances:<\/p>\n