12 Common French Gestures

[@cmlazar]

You might want to teach them how to order “1” drink or “1” of anything with a gesture. In English we hold up the index finger but in France we hold up the thumb for “1.” If you hold up your index finger, you’ll get “2” of whatever you’re ordering. You always start counting using your thumb.

[@0lunoire1]

Bonjour! Je me permets de rajouter quelques petits gestes qu'en tant que français, moi et mes proches utilisons couramment: To any English viewer of this channel, I suggest some additional gestures: -Jouer de la flûte/du pipeau (= lying) : pretend to play the flute with your hands to show that you don't believe what your interlocutor is saying -J'en sais rien (=I have no idea): puff out your cheeks and do a "Prr!" sound like a deflated balloon (yeah, it's hard to describe...) -ça vaut rien (=it's worth nothing): puff out ONE cheek and poke it with your finger, letting the air come out of your mouth going "Pr!" "Pr!" "Pr!" -Laisse tomber (=forget it/it doesn't matter): pretend to throw something over your shoulder with one hand -Boire un coup (=drink alcohol; either go have a drink or talk about someone drunk): position your hand in the telephone gesture and place your thumb in front of your mouth with your pinkie in the air. Hope I've been helpful! Bonne journée à tous et encore bravo Géraldine :D

[@0lunoire1]

+0lunoire1 Re-bonjour! Voici un autre geste dont je me suis souvenue! / Hi ! Here's another gesture I remember (typical French!): Ramer ("paddling"= to show you're struggling to find the words) : pretend you have paddles on each side of you and paddle as hard as you can! It's very common among French speakers to "ramer". For example, when a boy is suddenly asked by his girlfriend if she looks fat in some outfit she bought (and unfortunately does, but shush). Any French witnesses listening to his explanation would just look at each other and paddle while looking at the boy, meaning "good luck, buddy";. Or if a French speaker is trying to explain something and the interlocutor doesn't understand him/her at all. If the French speaker is with a friend, he can look at this friend and paddle discreetly going "Please help me!";.

[@anaisetraphael1]

0lunoire1 a

[@edgarm2rts]

Also, when counting from 1 to 3, we use our thumb. It's important when for example you order 1 or 2 drinks in a loud place, a thumb up means you only want 1 drink, and a thumb and index means 2.

[@Wizardofgosz]

Also shown in the bar scene in the film Inglorious Basterds.

[@bazzerhope]

This caught me out when I first moved to France. I would ask for ‘une baguette’ with my index finger raised (in the British way) and would invariable be met with the question, “deux?”. In the end, a kind fromagiste pointed out that ‘one’ in France is signalled with the thumb. Evidently, actions do speak louder than words!

[@MorliHolect]

French Anne Hathaway

[@theranium9189]

MorliHolect Anne Hathaway must be ugly then.

[@MorliHolect]

Dr. Coconut I find her cute just like the lady in this video.

[@theranium9189]

MorliHolect Well, maybe because you like aliens, and she looks like your photo... (I wuv dem predators)

[@jinheeock2034]

true true

[@simona4261]

+LuciferDoosje, she actually looks like Anne. Stop being rude .

[@tinafanzo892]

I love that you explain in English and French firstly but secondly your content is fabulous, so different than other types of teachings. Thank You

[@jenbourdeau]

Your're missing the most french gesture of all! When the French relax their lips and blow a puff of air out, as if to say boring, ugh, bof, etc.

[@dje6429]

I'm french, the new word very popular for "bof" is "meh" in english/US.

[@jenbourdeau]

YamaRider and I'm American and was trying to think of how to say bof in english :), meh works.

[@dje6429]

So if I'm not wrong, you're an american knowing the french word "bof" and you're wondering how to tell it in your own language ? I'm lost ^^ Otherwise, your last name sounds reaally reaally frenchie :)

[@greeneking77]

YamaRider I would say only people under 30 use "meh". It sounds very high school teenie

[@ntfrmhr]

my swiss friend does that too! haha

[@mudbone32]

On peut voir beaucoup plus des joli gestures en conduisant les rues de Paris!

[@kam7r882]

you forgot the most used gesture in france ... the middle finger XD

[@arnolt2590]

ha ha

[@littlestarshepherd]

Jerome Delaunay Definitely my favorite. 😂

[@thequestofodssey]

HAHA

[@jackgreentheweirdonce-ler969]

Y'mean this 👉 (🖕)

[@AndersonWheaton]

Imported from the USA.

[@AnneMXCVII]

I am French, and to be honest most of these are not used at all. Especially the ones about being drunk or "cassé", if you do that to people now, they would just look at you very weirdly. It wouldn't feel normal at all. :P The ones to keep in mind for me, are "more or less", "to leave", "great !" or "it's not me ! I didn't do this". The other ones are either bizarre or old-fashioned. :)

[@helenlundeberg]

***** The "J'ai du nez" is seriously weird ! never seen anybody do it.

[@AnneMXCVII]

AschMu I know right ?! xD

[@roxane1237]

***** I use the drunken one....

[@FuckOffTrends]

+Elvywel Ouais mais ça peut être utile genre si quelqu'un qui ne parle pas français voit un spectacle, un sketch, ou même la télé ou la gestuelle est beaucoup plus présente que dans la vie de tous les jours.

[@AnneMXCVII]

Certes, mais le but de sa vidéo est de présenter les gestes communs, donc de tous les jours ! Après c'est clair que dans les spectacles, ça m'étonnerait pas qu'ils soient utilisés. :P

[@bernadettemendoza8058]

You a good teacher. Thank you. I knew some of the gestures. Merci

[@luuchoo93]

This is really interesting. I come from Argentina and we have many of these gestures in common: 1 (more or less), 4 (won't say a word), 8 (great), 11 (I didn't do it).. Gesture nº 7 in Argentina doesn't mean "I don't believe you", but "Be careful with what you're going to do because I'm watching"

[@ElTiano21]

Siiiii! El típico “ojoooo, ojito ojazo, que te estoy mirando” que te daba tu vieja cuando te estabas por mandar una cagada

[@Wizardofgosz]

That one isn't really used in the US. But when we want to use the "I am keeping my eye on you" gesture we take our two fingers that make the peace sign (index and middle finger) and point to our eyes, then yours.

[@williambunter3311]

You get a thumbs up from me. That's my gesture to you today (and always)!

[@genisay]

I was surprised at how many of these I know and use in the US. The one for 'zero' can mean 'zero' here or 'okay' depending on context, and facial expression usually gives clues. The only ones I don't see here that oven are the one for 'drunk', touching the nose (sometimes in older movies or used by older people), and casse. All of the others I knew.

[@Da_Big_G]

I love the Gallic shrug: - shoulders raised, palms raised and facing outwards, bottom lip pouting out and saying "bof".

[@christiank1251]

Jean Gabin did this to perfection.

[@Da_Big_G]

@@christiank1251, do you know of a video in particular which shows him doing this?

[@christiank1251]

@@Da_Big_G Thanks for asking. My memory was fuzzy at best, so this gave me a reason for digging through some great films again. I now think it must have been “Le Président“ from 1961. In the trailer, he does the shrug at minute 2'10 (kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2mam5yVh76pqbc). It is not exactly as you describe it (they are seated during mealtime), but I remember other such scenes from that film too. Why your comment rang a bell with me: I used to watch the film with my parents some years ago, and my Dad liked the gesture so much he made it a habit of his own, together with the line "c'est normal“ (not “bof“) which is now a family staple. We are Germans.

[@Da_Big_G]

@@christiank1251 , das Link führt zu etwas anderes ("12 Common French Gestures). Ich glaube, dass die deutsche Äquivalent "Null Bock" ist, z.B. "die Null-Bock Generation" (man sagt "la bof génération auf Französisch).

[@christiank1251]

@@Da_Big_G I changed the IMDb reference to a working KZbin link just now. Et ouais, la bof génération, je m'en fiche, das ist nicht mein Bier lol Thanks for the context 😉.

[@Jiji-slove]

omg thank you, i 've seen this a lot in France but never had the time to google it. that's so helpful ^^

[@justingreen1295]

Bonjour! Je suis un prof de français au lycée. On apprécie beaucoup vos vidéos! Justin

[@Valkyrie_71]

In english (Canadian) the closed thumb and index finger "o" with three fingers up means "okay" , or with a little shake, and sometimes a slow eye blink and biting inside lips, means "perfect". Closed index and thumb with all other fingers down or closed means "zero". Other than that, many of the other gestures I find are also used in english, or very similar.

[@jinbe_sincero]

je découvre vôtre chanel aujourd'hui. Je abonne immédiatement✌ salut de Brésil

[@HungryGuyStories]

No matter what country you're from, using harmless hand gestures from your country in a different country can get you in a lot of trouble (even arrested in some countries). I avoid hand gestures when traveling abroad.

[@charlesharris1782]

Thank you for your help, as a pensioner, find that lessons are far to expensive for me to purchase, could you please offer a better deal for the over 70's

[@ernestoleal6748]

cool videos. I enjoy your teaching, very much. Although I found your channel a couple days ago. I've Joined Comme une Francaise, and I'm Expiring to be on of you greatest students.

[@louis-philippecomeau1289]

Je suis Québécois et sauf pour mon oeil, les autres gestes m'étais inconnus. J'enseigne le FLE dans un lycée anglophone (High school) en Ontario et j'invites mes élèves à vous suivre. Merci bien et continue!

[@unusualsuspect1262]

Et c'est quoi le FLE ?

[@sarahonline9151]

I love learning about gestures in other cultures! I did live in France about 20 years ago... I thought the hand wiping the cheek (as you did for boring/raser) was used for emphasis, if something was really extreme, outrageous, intense, something like that... And I also thought shaking one's hand in the air (kind of like what you would do if you were air-drying your hands, but less vigorous) also meant something like "c'est chaud" as in "that's intense/extreme/whoa/wow" is that right? (Am I remembering correctly?)

[@cmolodiets]

shaking your hand in the air can indeed mean "it's extreme" I'm french but I don't know the meaning of the hand wipping the cheek. it can mean "it's annoying" but it's quite old fashioned and I doubt you could come across this gesture in France today

[@elliottcd1]

When gesturing for one of something (i.e. one croissant from the bakery) in the US we use our index finger. In France you use your thumb. In the US, the gesture for two of something is the index and middle finger, in France it’s your thumb and index finger. Because of this difference, if you use your index finger in France to ask for one of something, you might get two.

[@susanagr]

In Spanish is like in The USA (unless you are obviously counting down units like when you are teaching a chili the numbers)

[@BorselinoThadchack]

Wow ...8 years ago! How time flies. You changed as well. Now you;re married and a mother! Awesome Geraldine!

[@navi0822]

Merci beaucoup pour votre video! It was very helpful. :D I am subscribing!

Merci pour toutes ces petites leçons, Géraldine :-)

[@olmeckrav]

I did not know the one about "zero". Great video.

[@Zamalandre]

C'est super, je trouve ça très intéressant même quand on est français ! ;)

[@mauricedebrosse9047]

Très bonne idée cette video. En fait, cela nous renvoie à nous. Mais bien sûr qu,on a tous ces gestuels..... on ne se voie pas, on ne se rend compte de rien...... Marie......

[@Tra_vellers]

très bien ,. merci (French beginner here) 😛

[@JackOfAllRAIDs]

That lowering of the lower eye skin is similar in Japan, though the meaning is more like sticking your tongue out at an individual.

[@sarahsmith1418]

Ah, this channel is wonderful! New sub here!

[@geetapariani3202]

Merci. I was looking for a video on these.

[@d.delatte3888]

We do a lot of these in South Louisiana, and cassé here can also mean drunk in some areas.

[@twoeightfourtyone]

No gesture more French than the shrugging of shoulders!

[@NatandGeorge]

WITH the raising of the eyebrows for the true Gallic Shrug. .. (I interpret it as "I don't know?' & why are you asking ME?")

[@breadandcircus1]

So great video. You're absolutely GORGEOUS

[@vassiakesaridis602]

Salut Geraldine. Tu as toujour super. Quoique j ai 61 anees j apprend beaucoup des choses avec toi.Je suis une professeur d Anglais donc je sais enseigner. J ai essayer beaucoup des sites en you tube. Je pense que tu es la meiller!( desolee pour mes erreurs). J aime bien que tu explique la culture Française aussi.Je profite de tes leçons parsque tu aimes ton metier .Donc tu es une inspereur .Milles merci..

[@chulita4978]

Hey Géraldine!! Love your channel!! I've learned a lot here, Thanks!!;))

[@aleemshah7884]

Really helping to learn French.....

[@sandrademetz9242]

Merci.

[@glenm3712]

Merci beaucoup encore Géraldine! 😃

[@franciscojavierperdomo6190]

sont les memes gestes a Venezuela!!! c'est impresionant! avec le exepction de le geste par "zero" ici ca geste ces't ne pas tres politesse, jejejeejje....Ces't un plaisir de regarder tes clases de francais!!!

[@ryandavis280]

Thanks for this! Now i know what Adele's gesture means after she left Cesar

[@gabrielkarr6889]

This helped a lot thank you :)

[@Angette24]

Juste pour information "cassé" c'est passé de mode depuis quelques années.

[@goomba008]

+Yuki Content de l'apprendre. Je hais les modes forcées.

[@arnolt2590]

on dit"flop bricedenice 3" maintenant

[@MrAdilson54321]

Merci!

[@jennyhesperus]

Très intérressant! J''habite au Canada vraiment très proche de la frontière du Québec et beaucoup de gestes sont le même choses ici (5, 6 et 12 sont des nouveaux). Numero 9 est peut-être "super" ou "zero" et en Anglais on dit "My eye" aussi. SVP Excusez, mon Français n'est pas le meilleur. :)

[@Commeunefrancaise]

Merci @jennyhesperus !

[@kamss137]

Tu écris mieux que la plupart d'entre nous ! :) Et puis "casser".. ça date de l'an 2000 looll et pour dire qu'on est bourré on ne fait pas ça non plus.. mais bon après ça doit dépendre de la région dans laquelle tu vie ou bien si tu es partie au États Unis en 2002 et que tu penses que ça n'a pas changé depuis :D (c'est pour rire)

[@vovahimself]

Thanks for the video! One expression I see often in French movies (and only in them) is something as follows (can't find it now): move chin forward, raise eyebrows, make a "conical" shape with lips (sorry don't know a better word). From what I can see, it can mean anything from "I don't know" to "Who cares". Could you explain please?

[@eleole8866]

I'm not sure with what you're saying, but I think you're speaking about someone surprised... do they open up them eyes like... really opened? I'm french so I'm not sure about my english

[@PronunciAction]

Salut! I have found you by chance, thanks for all your videos, I will devour them like no other student before I buy your course. Au revoir!

[@chrisf4426]

Thanks Geraldine! I'm planning my first visit in 20 years and benefitted from this tutorial. Next time please tell us about the "shrug" and slow everything by a couple of seconds so as to better absorb the pronunciation😄😀

[@rhondacase7194]

Charmante!

[@ms-nl5io]

Tres elegante.Merci.

[@johnerwin981]

Merci Madammoiselle, very interesting! : ) Dallas, TX

[@sabersaber19]

c parfait. merci bcp

[@CarmenAndreinaDel]

Merci pour ton vidéo!! J'ai un devoir sûrce thème! merci!!!

Merci very much!

[@rushdialrashed9627]

Mercie bien! From Dubai

[@angelerullier332]

drop the "e" at the end of merci(e) and ya'll be good ;)

[@tps607]

merci beaucoup!

[@markscott554]

I am currently watching Master Chef France to help improve my French. I remember you said you spent some time in Leeds, so you'll know English and British TV; is there any TV series like Coronation St., or Eastenders, or anything you think represents the drama of daily life (as opposed to a cooking show)?

[@aditik4360]

that was very helpful, thank you.

[@ajayeramlochun2512]

jaime ce tres bien.merci

[@k.monteil...asalon9357]

One anecdote that I heard was the time someone encountered a palm held up in their face. In French it means, 'I'll be right with you', in American it means 'talk to the hand' or 'I have no time for you, get outa my face', (very rude in American, not at all in French)

[@shenadoor]

merci Geraldine

[@surekhasundaram8045]

c' etait vraiment educatif et aussi amusant! tous les gestes sont nouveaux, sauf "je n'ai rien fait". merci.

[@tourcreole854]

Most of those are used in the U.S. too

[@vickimurley3707]

Very interesting gestures and explanations. I did not know most of these. Is it a polite gesture in France to point at people during a normal conversation?

[@DSDimitri]

Nope, it's considered very rude actually.

[@vickimurley3707]

Thanks. I was taught not to point at people even at a distance. I know not all cultures are the same though.

[@GrimesTheOG]

Vic Topia tbh we I'm french and i don't use most of these gesture.

[@rachelandnick]

Thank you! Learnt alot :-

[@worldofretail4672]

My french teacher (originally from France) taught us one where you make a thumbs up and put it under your chin. You flick out your thumb as in "ha ha"

[@Commeunefrancaise]

WorldOfRetail absolutely!

[@boompace]

Great!

[@brianharmon4904]

Merci, je savant Beaucoup

[@ciaartin2221]

J'adore les boucles d'oreilles!

[@Torontogal777]

Please repeat the address to use to subscribe to the newsletter you mentioned.,

[@biloz2988]

Very cute while explaining it. By the way your accent is very typically French !!!

[@lisabarr1492]

LOVE!

[@jackieblue3506]

I knew some because of my french teacher has a poster about french postures

[@Ypsilon...]

my school is using this for non-verbal communication lesson

[@DenisBissonExplorerchess]

Bonjour Géraldine! Je suis du Canada et je suis déjà allé en Europe plus d'une fois. C'est un détail mais j'ai remarqué souvent que les gens pour indiquer au Mc Do ou dans un bar qu'ils veulent DEUX items ils sortent deux doigts soit le pouces et l'index. Je ne suis pas sûr que *tous* les européens font ça mais je l'ai remarqué très souvent. Mais ici, c'est très rare. On va prendre l'index et le majeur pour dire deux. Ce n'est pas si drôle que ça comme ça mais ce qui est drôle, je l'ai déjà vu deux fois et c'est pour ça que c'est une anecdote, c'est le Canadien en visite à Barcelone ou Paris qui va indiquer qu'il veut DEUX Big Mac et qui n'est pas top point de vue dextérité et qu'en sortant son majeur et son index lpour dire "2", bien le pouce est un peu ouvert et pas demeuré fermé. Là, la personne européenne à l'arrière du comptoir est confuse. Elle dit "bien là 2 ou 3???". :-) Ici il ne viendrait pas à l'idée de vouloir compter le pouce à moins qu'il soit franchement très très ouvert. Voilà. C'est ma looooooooooongue anecdote pas très rigolote. :-)

[@ruhanrbx]

Muito bom!!

[@jayc1139]

Hmmm, I think my mother (who is French Canadian mostly) tends to make gesture number 5, to leave...but she's done it on MY hands or my sisters or dads hands in the past, 3 times in a row on a single hand. She then says ''well...we gotta get goin''.

[@choominxi4178]

I feel like a majority of these are common across the world. Although, not exactly the same, but highly similar, and quite common.

[@ekNYC]

2:10 This one means Okay/Alright in China, Japan and many Asian countries.

[@NatandGeorge]

Was hopinf to find the Gallic Shrug demonstrated. . .

[@pwsamadof]

ty

[@Izabella3013]

Hi! I'm from Colombia and I don't know if anybody told you yet about this. It's funny. In Colombia (I don't know if it applies in other countries as well) you can't do the gesture 6 (To be drunk) because it is very rude, actually it means a very common swearword. xD

[@SuperSatelit]

What part from Colombia? Because I'm not sure what are you talking about, seriously.

[@Izabella3013]

I'd lived in Bogotá, Cali and Ibagué, and in those three places they know that. Where are you from?

[@maureen95]

Very well done - how about the shrug between: I don't care and "Ce n'est pas moi"?

[@kristajoynyaga3563]

Bonjour! Selon moi, beaucoup des gestures ici sont les mêmes dans mon pays. Sauf "je m'ennuie" et "cassé"Je les trouve très intéressant. Je suis en train de me préparer pour un voyage à France donc c'est très utile.

[@shasha_7477]

si tu vas en France ne dit surtout pas casse comment dire ... personne ne le dit maintenant . on disait cela en 2000 -2002

[@kristajoynyaga3563]

+Shasha_laShipie je dis quoi?

[@shasha_7477]

+Krista Joy Nyaga une équivalence franchement il n y en a pas a part des onomatopées comme : bim ,. Tte je trouve au il faut être assez proche des gens pour leur faire ça car ils pourraient prendre mal mais tu as quel âge ?

[@Claire_etc]

+Krista Joy Nyaga Quand on dit "cassé" c'est lorsqu'on fait une remarque à une personne et que celle-ci ne trouve rie a dire en retour. Alors vous pouvez simplement rire car la personne ne sait plus quoi dire ou dire "je t'ai eu" Bon voyage ! :)

[@alicefremont]

Actually, "cassé" is more like the equivalent of "burn" in english!

[@k.monteil...asalon9357]

Actually nowadays the kids are saying 'SNAP !' Or "SNNNAPP !'

[@acorntranslations3335]

Bonjour, Comme une Française, Je voudrais partager une expression/I'd like to share an expression: " La Prunelle de mes yeux." -"You're the apple of my eye." Le geste pour cette expression est vraiment similaire selon ma meillure amie qui habite en France. Comment distinguer?

[@moonflower5553]

For comparison (if anyone is interested) these gestures in the US mean: 1. Same exact meaning 2. Means "call me" and is kinda flirty 3. Isn't used in US 4. "My lips are sealed", same meaning. 5. Seems kind of similar to the motion of tapping your watch (or on your wrist where your watch would be) to tell another person "time's up" "let's go" or "we don't have time" kind of thing 6. Not used 7. Not used in the US but i think this one is neat 8. I think a thumbs up is universal. 9. Means "ok" in the US, or "gotcha, i understand" kind of thing 10. I've seen this used in the US, i think it has a similar meaning but I'm not sure. I interpret it as something along the lines of "i have secret knowledge" or "i know more thank you think". Not too different imo. 11. Same meaning 12. This one is obviously very specific to France and not used. I'm sure no one really asked, and this is based on where in the US i come from not the whole country, but i noticed that the gestures were mostly very similar and i kinda wanted to make a point about it.

[@benthead]

Hooray !

[@TheMarty972]

Mdrrr le dernier, je l'utilise au quotidien pour casser mes amies. Je ne savais pas que c'était exclusivement francais ! How bizzare !

[@annainspain5176]

For older viewers some of these are just the same as in English. More or less, same gesture. They would even say, "comme çi, comme ça" though they wouldn't know how to spell it. Very popular in the seventies.Twiddling your thumbs, yeah--bored. "My eye" is much older, goes back to the 1930s and 40s, older people would say something was "all my eye and Betty Martin" or just "my eye." The gesture of "I didn't do it" is the same as in English. So there are only really 2-3 gestures here that English/Americans wouldn't know. You missed out some important ones, such as "Et toc!" which I wondered about for a long time before I found it here--on someone else's channel.

[@carlitoxb110]

"Zero" can cause a lot of confusion, it means "ok" in my country

[@Ennoba]

+Carlitox b In french depending on the context it can have another meaning. For exemple if you are tasting a meal that your friend cooked for you and you want to tell him it is very good you can make this gest. In this context it means "delicious!" or "perfect!".

[@janedmunds4218]

I learned the shaving gesture watching animated Snoopy drive une voiture à Paris 🤣❤️

[@maitreibnarabi8533]

I love your soul !

[@DecadeofDecay]

You forgot the biggest common gesture : middle finger 1:54 I don't buy it (middle finger) 2:25 It wasn't me... Psych (middle finger) 2:35 When someone is burned/lawyered (middle finger)

[@OLDCHEMIST1]

Certains de ces gestes deviennent peu à peu commune chez nous en Angleterre

[@alinaderi5368]

Super

[@tenzintsomo4049]

Parfait.....

[@mehakjain5126]

super!