Can You Guess The Meanings Of These Italian Gestures?

Italians are world-famous for talking with their hands. Some claim this is just a stereotype, but according to Italian communication expert Luca Vullo, these gestures are very real. But can non-Italians interpret them? We asked some colleagues from England, France, the USA, Russia and Brazil to try to decipher the secret code of Italian hand gestures, as performed by Luca.
Which ones did you guess correctly?
Vattene!
Perfetto!
Blablabla
Paura?
Non c´è niente
Rubare
Start learning a new language today!
bit.ly/2CnqVgv
Read more about Italian and other languages on our Magazine:
bit.ly/2F6bigm
Follow us on social media:
💡 / babbel.languages
💡 / babbel
💡 / babbel

[@Agny777]

As an italian it's always so weird to see people not knowing these hand gestures

[@megawarpig3401]

Per noi e' cosi' naturale che non ci facciamo neanche caso

[@anonip4762]

MegaWarPig anche se ci sono differenze tra le varie regioni, per esempio da me il gesto rubare vuol dire cosa losca, e il gesto vattene si usa per dire "ce ne andiamo?" o "te ne vuoi andare?"

[@megawarpig3401]

Anche da me, Lombardia?

[@abiagio1]

Sono segni puramente convenzionali, nel senso che tra italiani "ci siamo messi d'accordo" che significhino una certa cosa e non altro, ma è ovvio che questo vale solo per noi.

[@giorgia4454]

Anonip anche da me è così

[@filippobardazzi2080]

The "go away" gesture represents the moment when the hangman cuts the rope during the classic medieval execution: in fact, when we go away we say "we cut the rope" and that is how the gesture was born

[@ferakles]

The first one can also mean "let's go!" rather than "go away!" if did with a certain expression ;-)

[@MaxRiley]

actually "let's go" is normally done only with one hand

[@khadijaouledlarbi641]

il gesto di "perfetto" si usa anche per dire "lo sapevo" hahaha

[@hmm4214]

Khadija Ouledlarbi si tipo "te pareva!"

[@futuramarina8400]

Khadija Ouledlarbi in napoletano con lo stesso significato diciamo "oilloc" ovvero "ecco qua, lo sapevo"

[@robertomoccia8305]

Giusto

[@apointb2260]

Perfetto usually goes with a whistle

[@paoloizzi99]

Secondo me infatti più che "perfetto" avrebbero dovuto mettere "precisamente", che raccoglie tutti e due i significati, sia quando dici che una cosa è perfetta e quindi precisa, sia quando dici "te pareva, è successo precisamente quello che pensavo"

[@petralik]

The hand gesture for "paura", can also be used to say that a place is full of people. There can be a difference in the speed of opening and closing the hand, slower to say "fear" and faster to say "crowded". Yeah, we're crazy. P.S. for "fear" the gesture is indicating the shit in your pants :D

[@christianyoutube6335]

In Greece we also use the gesture to say that someplace is crowded or to say "its expensive" generally to say "too much of something"

[@ShishiSonson]

+christianyoutube The same for "expensive" in Greece? Interesting.

[@lorenzodeangelis4061]

p.lik In poche parole "Ti sei cagato in mano

[@anonip4762]

p.lik si ma non si usa praticamente mai per dire che un posto è affollato

[@guerriero135]

+Lorenzo De Angelis C'hai la strizza, neh?

[@solaccursio]

we also have three different gestures for "drinking". Drink water (you make a tube with your fingers, like holding a glass, and bring it to your mouth), drink wine (same, but with thumb and pinky open and extended), drink coffee (thumb and index like holding the handle of a cup, other fingers slightly open, and move the hand towards mouth). Pretty specialized, huh? :D

[@marcomiglioranza7754]

the First is "andiamo" in italian and "lets'go" in english

[@marcomiglioranza7754]

let's go

[@paoloamato5598]

No per me è giusto vattene ! Andiamo è leggermente diverso ..

[@famedoro73]

really nice... i'm italian and i enjoyed seeing people to guess

[@francescoballini8870]

The "perfect" gesture is more like "it happened precisely what I told you"

[@AndreaRoll]

to any of our foreign friend let me assure you about one thing: we adopted the international hand gesture for "fuck you" so if you see someone in italy giving you the finger it means exactly what you think it means :D

[@tiddlywinks456]

In Ireland we have 2 signs for the f. Word, middle finger is one way, and 2 fingers is the other way. The 2 finger way is the opposite of the peace sign , so you need to be careful when ordering drinks at a bar that you don't tell the barman to f. Off. We count 1,2,3,4,5 as index finger first and NOT thumb first as in a lot of European countries. HTH. Usually you don't need the f.word sign as a visitor to Ireland as we love tourists and we are friendly and approachable :)

[@valterfumero5285]

I thought the 2 fingers were just an English gesture. In Italy nobody would understand it. At least this is a gesture with a clear etymology.

[@leoleopold1550]

sublime

[@Manudyne]

"Questi individui stranieri stanno cercando di comprendere la comunicazione gestuale degli italiani. Apparentemente conoscono ogni singolo gesto. E invece no, non sanno una mazza. P A U R A E H?"

[@piky86ita94]

Ti stai cacando sotto eh

[@LoreSka]

I'm Italian and, while I recognize and understand the "blablabla" sign, it's extremely uncommon. All the others are widely used though.

[@mars4ever]

+LoreSka Concordo, pensa che credevo che facesse "paura" con la mano girata nel modo sbagliato!

[@ImRiooo]

al Sud è più comune

[@ImRiooo]

+ImRiooo quaqquaraqqua non blablabla comunque

[@giorgio2586]

a Palermo significa "Parra Parra" uno che promette tanto e poi non mantiene le promesse

[@dykingout2018]

Noi a Roma li usiamo spesso, idk

[@ergict]

"there is nothing" in sicilian is "non c'è nenti pa iatta"

[@michelebernabei1643]

ergict in italiano non c'è trippa per gatti hahahha

[@GothicKin]

I just got a couple. I think that's good, I'm italian after all.

[@Bytheewaay]

As an Argentinian, this wasn't too difficult :D we make many of these gestures. I have never seen the 'go away' one, we make it only with the moving hand.

[@futuramarina8400]

Gesù Cristo The one with two hands is used to emphasize the message even more, so it's usually slower and more pronounced

[@helgaioannidis9365]

@@essskevin81101 I'm even more late. In Rome they use both.

[@ManubibiWalsh]

the first one I always interpret it as "it's late, let's go away" too. The last one I always interpreted it as like "something sketchy is going on", especially bureaucracy-wise or that someone was profiting off of something and the whole thing is hushed in public. The rest is obviously spot on to me as well. :)

[@francescoballini8870]

The "there's nothing" also means more generally "it doesn't work"

[@omarpena7348]

Believe it or not, I am from Ecuador, Latin America, and we HAVE ALWAYS USED some of these hand gestures with THE SAME EXACT MEANING, for example: - Blablabla - Paura? - Rubare I’m surprised to find out that these gestures are from Italy, and they are worldwide nowadays.

[@leandroulpio7473]

They are probably used in every mediterranian country, Anglosaxons just started this hysterical italian gesture hype because they don't really love traveling.

[@alesgarb1749]

I would say all descended from latin countries know most of the gestures from the video. I`m Brazilian and my grandfather came from Italy.

[@Gastone76]

Possono dire ciò che vogliono, ma noi Italiani siamo unici! They can say what they want, but we Italians are unique!

[@federicoserri1826]

I remember When I went to middle school a bunch of years ago, I could actually communicate with my friends only with gesture without talking That was the best way during tests

[@santianzo2861]

As a Uruguayan, I knew almost all of the gestures.

[@LittleLulubee]

Haha, I loved the two girls' reaction to Perfetto. This was entertaining :)

[@giuliatrevisi4321]

Which recording of La Traviata is this?

[@3303jeri]

there are many more, I know some of the bad ones. lol its like cursing with sign language.

[@michelebernabei1643]

I'm italian and we use some of these for another

[@jere.maille]

We use the sign for paura in french too :) It is usually accompanied by the sentence: "t'as les chocottes ?" Which is an informal way of saying "Are you scared?" :)

[@shiranduarte]

Interstingly enough that many of these signs are identical to gestures common in Brazil. Although weirdly some of them have different meaning. The "non c'è niente" ("there is nothing") , is widely used (mainly among military) to say "don't care" or "don't give a flying f***". The "perfetto" is used in vertical going down, like a straight plumbline used in construction.

[@crossingthechannel4631]

I understand the 'to steal' one now, the spider is the symbol of thieves, and I guessed it to be a spider

[@matheusnobre]

The gesture for are you scared might be the anus closing out of fear hahahaha

[@delphys75]

Nous avons plusieurs de ces gestes en France aussi / We also have most of these gestures in France ;-)

[@crossingthechannel4631]

C'est vrai, c'est aussi parce que la France est également un pays latin :)

[@hank.station2737]

The first gesture is not completely right because it's not just "go way", but: "go way, at your home/house". In this case the hand on move slamming the palm of other hand, actually rappresent people that must go-way. But other hand would rappresent a building where is supposing people lives. The slowness of the second gesture connecting with the face expression meaning not just "perfect" ,but : "perfect and I enjoy about it ". The Fourth gesture it is right, because actually meaning "you're scared", and I would explain the funny question about the hand and what it would rappresent. This gesture rappresent the ass-hole and perfect translating is : "you shit yourself for the scare".

[@Sohappytoshowus]

the paura gesture is most used to say "cut short" or "sum it up" when somebody is speaking for too long about something.

[@eddyjc668]

It depends from the contest of the conversation

[@elodomina]

4:45 a única que acertou o gesto foi a brasileira (roubar), pq será ?

[@TheErichX]

Por que descendemos de italianos

[@lisbethlarson]

Same in French !!!for all !!we are the same Italian and French !!!

[@omero9210]

I can not remember when or where I read that there are over six thousands codified gestures commonly used by italians even in a casual conversation to complement the verbal speech or to achieve a whole non-verbal conversation. and the codified gesture only counted for ¨unique¨ gestures, not including variations. EDIT: it must also be considered that the facial expression might alter the meaning of a particular gesture, like in hostile, mocking, friendly.

[@caiosergio2199]

Rubare e Blablabla are the same in Brazil

[@qKatefu]

4:53 Kazuma italian confirmed

[@thirdsepirot]

Steel Pantsú 👙👙👙

[@PK2608]

You know you're Italian when you know them all while others people don't

[@gn1144]

3:04 (For strangers) I'm an Italian from Calabria and this gesture actually has different meanings here: Fear, Full of people, Make it quick.

[@Rob46373]

The "nothing" gesture can also mean like damn I don't know how to explain it it's like "there is nothing to do" or "I'm sorry but it's really not that simple" like if you tell me regarding solving a problem "just do this" and I tell you "well is not really that simple" fuck its hard to explain, then if you use all fingers it becomes "more or less" or "so and so" or also depending on the context can mean "nearly" like " it's nearly perfect". And really the first gestures of go away, sure it can be used like that but is often used to say "let's go away" so not in an intimidating way which can be otherwise expressed using one hand like in the gesture "so and so" but moving it straight up and down

[@cvskrrt2907]

Very interesting video! I am from Argentina so I deciphered some meanings well ;)

[@BabbelAprendaIdiomas]

+Cirö Vårgas Well done! It's our new favourite game.

[@cvskrrt2907]

Babbel Português Thanks! Enjoy it!

[@cvskrrt2907]

Apemanwithcalculator They were ''tribus'', with their own language and culture, I guess they were used to get animals to eat.

[@lucas_mourglia]

+Cirö Vårgas Hey! I'm from Argentina too! I also dechipered a lot of gestures as well like for example we use a lot "to steal" = "chorear" haha and "are you scared?" = "tenés cagazo?". Also, we use the typical italian gesture which means: What are you saying? = Qué decís? (which is not in the video) haha this video was great! :D

[@cvskrrt2907]

***** How is it?

[@alessioartioli3323]

Actually the 1st one means more "let's go" than "go away". "Go away" is done with just one hand, without the other hand "stopping" the first one, and it's more like "addressed" towards the person who's suggested to move and go away, with a rhythmic movement of the hand (with all fingers pefectly streched and touching each other) up and down. The other ones are correct, but I'd say that the gesture for "there's nothing" (which is a correct meaning of this gesture actually) could also mean "it's finished", in the sense that "there's no more". Exhample, you're eating a wondeful pasta and when you finish you're dish you ask for more, the person replying you could just make this gesture to you, maeaning "it's finisched, sorry, no more available".

[@aminekemicha8951]

So this is where "how italien" meme started :")

[@blackeyes3313]

Go away and To steal !! I knew it because we have the same in Algeria

[@TheSdoWn]

You can do something like this but with argentina gestures ! :D

[@issa4088]

My gosh, I love the accent of the Asia girl. So charming! Where is she from?

[@wenrah974]

She's French

[@amybookaholic]

So useful

[@brasilebrasile2450]

Every Italian gesture have a particular origin. For example the gesture of "are you scared" it's so because rappresents the ass hole when one person have a diarrhea for the scare of something or someone. It's"cacarella a fischietto" = a fountains of diarrhea

[@Clandestin007]

Ho sbagliato con quella de "Non c'è niente", la ho scambiata per "non funziona".

[@MrGoZiva]

+Germán Lugo Non funziona è la stessa ma più veloce

[@nonhounnomeneuncognome9495]

oppure perfetto... a napoli non significa perfetto ma lo sapevo, me lo sentivo, ecc.

[@megawarpig3401]

Allora non ero l'unico

[@anonip4762]

Germán Lugo vanno bene tutti e due, ma non vuol dire proprio "niente" ma "non c'è più" almeno qui a Bari è così

[@barioth_]

Germán Lugo anche io!

[@linasayshush]

It's awesome how many of these we use in São Paulo due to the Italian immigrants.

[@leandroulpio7473]

They are probably used in every mediterranian country, Anglosaxons just started this hysterical italian gesture hype because they don't really love traveling.

[@tvpedroso]

We have some of them in Brazil.... so many italians here!

[@aelialaelia477]

Second one is "everything according to predictions". Like "all linear"

[@annate4347]

I grew up with Italian parents who don't gesture like this and when I moved to italy i just thought oh fun, we're doing things with our hands!! And used these signs kind of randomly 😅 i don't wanna know how many people i confused

[@feerica5049]

the first is "tagghiala" AHAHAHAH -one Sicilian girl

[@ermenegildoannaterr3145]

Fęđëřįćå ッ Confirm. -one Sicilian boy

[@feerica5049]

Ermenegildo AnnaTerr AHAHAHAH

[@Cris_Shatty]

Many hand gestures dont work without facial expressions. Eye contact is very important here. The people in the video have a hard time guessing the gestures.....don't worry i am Italian and know it.

[@rammjose93]

i figured it out that paura is used in my country ecuador too. when we do the paura thing also we say "asi se te hace" o "se le hizo ocho" 😂😂

[@caesar4857]

anyone know what the song in the background is called?

[@rabbittobacco]

It's the "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" duet from La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi :)

[@ohayaoist123]

The first one means for us "go" or "you will go" ...always in the 'go' meaning

[@dalizia7168]

Some of these can be found in German Sign Langugage😂🤔

[@giovannicroce2110]

the second also mean "I told you" or "as I sad"

[@Youpuzz]

This video is magic, i'm italian and i'm dyng ahahaahahhah

[@WeRNthisToGetHer]

Italians are not using sign language with a solid distinct meanings like he's assigning his hand gestures to. These are mannerisms that embellish whatever you are trying to say like a pantomime. You can't go up to an Italian using just these gestures and expect them to understand what you are saying in the way a deaf person can read sign language. We just use our hands and body language to demonstrate what we are trying to relate. There's not necessarily one way to gesture certain things in the Italian language other than actual sign language for the hearing impaired.

[@May-ky4lu]

I can't belive as a brazilian I got the second gesture right

[@carloalbertoproto]

Rubare? A umma umma!

[@rezawicaksono4753]

i giggle like a kid😂

[@elenaripa3345]

1- Vatten! 2-Oh in loco 3-Blablabla 4-Tieni caga eh? 5-Nun ce sta nient 6-Magna magna XD

[@clnGabAsp]

Song in background?

[@michelemisamauri9559]

Some are wrong... better, they can mean many things

[@28diefee]

In Colombia we "say" paura too with that gesture.

[@neatrizareco4807]

No soy italiana, y no tengo familia de Italia. Pero extrañamente, viendo este video, encuentro que utilizo mucho los gestos al hablar.. el blablabla, tenés miedo, vamos, perfecto, robar, 😅. Le da más pasión a las expresiones. Con solo hablar, a veces no es suficiente.

[@leandroulpio7473]

They are probably used in every mediterranian country, Anglosaxons just started this hysterical italian gesture hype because they don't really love traveling.

[@neatrizareco4807]

@@leandroulpio7473 It's true. Now that you have mentioned. The part that I didn't understand was the don't like traveling part...

[@leandroulpio7473]

@@neatrizareco4807 Some italians got there a century ago = fine, my dad saw their hands, no need to travel to an actual foreign country to study what I'm shooting a video about...

[@neatrizareco4807]

@@leandroulpio7473 aaaaaw.. now I'm getting the picture. 😬😄. Thank you for reply. Greetings from Paraguay 🇵🇾

[@francescoborgia6664]

lol

[@estebq2762]

paura and blabla are the same in Mexico

[@mildredmontes6111]

Gerardo Fuentes that's what i thought

[@salvatoresev9125]

"Monkey together strong"

[@songs3146]

wtf i'm italian i'm living in romania and all of this gestures are the same with romanian gestures fuck that we are reallt brotherhood countryes:))))

[@noxfior]

Are you sure? I'm a Romanian living in Italy and I found that Italians have mostly different gestures or they tend to emphasize more with gestures than Romanians do. Like, even just the first two. I've never seen a Romanian do that unless they've lived in Italy for a while to pick them up.

[@player-gd9qh]

So...stealing seems to be universal among latins?

[@noxfior]

+player9500 I think it has more to do with, ya know, cultural exchange

[@camillazio]

YEOGIBUTEORA?

[@anonip4762]

ma io non mai visto nessuno fare quel gesto per dire vattene... al massimo andiamocene.

[@thirdsepirot]

A Roma significa... Te.Ne.DeVi_AnNnÀ.!!

[@andme6504]

Il primo gesto è stata la mia prima parola

[@luciazipprich828]

the second one has another meaning

[@angyliv8040]

Excepto niente y paura los otros son iguales que en España.

[@TheMatter]

più che perfetto a roma quello vuol dire ecchallà ahahahah

[@thirdsepirot]

Come volevasi dimostrare 😄😄😄

[@NPCTE23]

Io aspetavo il tipico "Ma che cazzo? sign" xD not native italian btw ...

[@sznuvud9602]

GORLAMI

[@adrianotopolino6184]

Si

[@hmm4214]

Io il gesto del rubare nemmeno lo conoscevo, non l'avevo mai visto

[@beatric3456]

4:50 comunemente detto "aummaumma"

[@senzasoldi5588]

My wife is inglish she use de hand all time .

[@sarwoedi85]

Lega Calcio brought me here

[@Enthcreations]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@robertomoccia8305]

Qui al sud le.parole sono solo accesori

[@rossoblu3263]

Ma in realtà più che perfetto significa scontato della serie " è ovvio che arrivavano in quel punto"

[@ValeRicotta]

My fav italian hand sign is 🤘😈

[@michelesanto5938]

un po' fa ridere vedere come fossero totalmente fuori pista con gesti semplicissimi che ricorrono nella vita di tutti i giorni

[@rickmarquis1646]

Italiani emigrati che insegnano italiano

[@saveriomaffettone5247]

Manca il piu importante

[@jacopoesposito3405]

The one for "fear" can also be used to say "fast". Like when a person is telling you a long story you can say "can you please *gesture*"

[@Luciopiacenza333]

Anch'io ero italiano, ma ho incasinato il ginocchio

[@user-rf4uj5ui1d]

I guessed "blablabla".

[@thirdsepirot]

But if you move your finger faster like the girl in 1:50 It's mean "quaqquaraqà" It's used to describe someone who always promises without Keeping. The Blablabla gesture is not so much used in Italy

[@francescogiovannizollo2989]

2:16: si è cagato sotto, il caghetta!

[@francescoborgia6664]

paura eh?

[@baccoSR]

sto cercando di immaginare come fa la gente a parlare senza muovere le mani