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Speak Arabic as Arabs do: Our guide to using more hand, less tongue action!

Published May 17th, 2016 - 03:05 GMT

Let’s have a quick show of hands! Who wants to learn to communicate in one of the planet’s most challenging languages? Al Bawaba’s Dictionary of Unspoken Arabic will have you ‘speaking’ fluently in a matter of minutes – able to express a wide range of key human expressions - while sidestepping costly classes, hellish homework, and embarrassing pronunciation gaffs. Yalla, get ready to speak Arabic without uttering a word!

Manual labor

Lots of Mediterranean cultures make use of their hands while chatting, but few have the range of Arabic hand-speaking! With a wave, twist and shake, let your hands do the talking: Hands up, hands on, and let the lesson begin!

NOTE: We have filtered out the universal or mixed Arab/ Western ones and kept it “classical Arabic.” Also, be warned of the pitfalls of this silent communion: some of the below carry more than one connotation, and a subtle difference in delivery can alter the message drastically. It's complicated! (Photos: Lindsey Leger)

 

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shway shway slowly slowly

Slow down, wait, “shway shway”! (palm up, fingers grouped, up, down motion) Commonly displayed on Arab roads by cabbies who shun hi-tech indicators & signals. Arm thrust out of window, hand wagging. Can carry a covert threat: Just you wait, I’ll show you. If brought down from higher up, and held, can register appreciation, a favorable rating.

Angry Arab

Pissed-off: (the "A OK" gesture, inverted, thumb and index pressed together, 3 fingers extended - shake/twist it up and down.) You see this and you run! Implies retribution or discipline: “I’ll show you!” Compounded with the shway shway of slide 1, you get combo gesture “Just wait, I’ll show you”, in which case duck for cover.

Arabic thumb-bite for broke or cheap

I am broke! "Ma fi Floos" or the jibe, You’re cheap! (thumb under front teeth, flick it outwards) Either way, this is a financial cue— to indicate the state of the signer or reflect the receiver as skint (penniless) or stingy. Not to be confused with Shakespeare's thumb-biting insults!

Hand twist what's up Arabic hand sign

What’s wrong? or Explain? (The hand twist, rotation) “Shu Malak”? Or Lebanese, "Shu Bek"? What's up? This probing, questioning hand could even be used as a 'what are you having' when placing somebody's order -- what's your poison? What'll it be? Need something?

My eyes Arabic my pleasure

My pleasure! (point from one eye to the other with one finger, while holding other's gaze) Forget your western reference: “I'm watching you”- double fingers on eyes, which is ominous; this Arabic relation means from my eyes "Min 3ayooni" and is only a good sign, so milk the service! “I'm at your disposal.” No black eyes here!

Arabic sign for please chin stroke

Please! (cup chin between thumb and forefinger, stroke downward, through a real or imagined beard). Pleading in the name of my beard -- whiskers are a repository of Arab honor – this one's a real manipulator! Not always innocent chin-action, this coaxing could carry threatening undertones, depending on the delivery. Yes Arabs are complex.

hand to chest Arabs I don't shake hands

Hands off! Arabs use this gesture to indicate that they don't shake hands. It's the greeting in lieu of hand-shake and says: Honored to meet you, but I won't touch your womanly hand! (open hand patting your chest/heart) Partakers of the “I’m not going to shake your hand” motion are many. Men do it, women do it, people with the flu do it.

Arabic 3ala raasi sign hand on head

You've heard of hand on heart, try hand on head! I'm honored, (tap your head) — to meet you, host you, help you, ergo you're on my head. Not to be confused with western mirror on your head be it, this common Arabic gesture suggests you are up there, venerated by the head-tapper. Arab honor lies anywhere from head to beard to the female anatomy.

majnoon are you crazy Arabic sign

Are you loco? (The hand twist next to the head) Are you crazy (majnoon?)

V sign for smoking Arab hand gestures

Can I get a smoke? (V-shaped fingers near your lips, raised eyebrows) You see this one a lot in the Middle East, a safe haven for smoking, where smokers (aka everybody) light up and take long lingering drags with reckless abandon like it's 1969.

biting hand Arabic sign

I’m restraining myself! or 'Oops, sorry, I slipped up' (the hand bite) - Often, I'm holding myself back, or getting a grip, and the only reason I’m not beating the living daylights out of you is because we’re in public. You've messed with the wrong Arab: you're in trouble! Try the chin stroke here (slide number 6) for mercy.

I'm free 7orr whatever Arabic

I’m free to do whatever I want! Because I can! Whatever! "'Hurr"! (Touch your temple with your index finger) Someone asks why or how come you did something; you touch your temple with a smug look that says “'hurr” – because I’m free to do so or because I’m smart, cool, hard enough. In other words, 'just because!' (in Arabic, 'haik)

Arabic no sign tut, cluck head tilt

The simple everyday but often absolute “No” (head tilted back, eyebrows raised, include clucking the tongue for added 'na-uh' effect and emphasis) Nope, nah, refusal, not happening, not doing. Insolent coming from a child.

Arabic hand sign expensive too much

No way, or WTF? (Shaking both hands hovering over in a fanning motion, just before your shoulders while saying or implying silently “Yee! Shu hada? or an exclamation of wow, as – Ya Waladeh!!”) Expressing your disbelief or incredulity at how ridiculous /expensive /unbelievable or unacceptable something is.

Laa ya zalameh Arabic

No way, man, that's not cool (dude): "Laa Ya Zalameh!" Another Arabic catch-all, this implies objection in the strongest terms (hand extended out in universal block but with sideways tilting, no, stop, you cannot be serious).

Arabic sign for we're tight, like this close

We’re tight! We’re so close, like family (Two separate hand index fingers held next to each other, parallel) Arabic colloquial: “khosh bosh”..

shway shway slowly slowly
Angry Arab
Arabic thumb-bite for broke or cheap
Hand twist what's up Arabic hand sign
My eyes Arabic my pleasure
Arabic sign for please chin stroke
hand to chest Arabs I don't shake hands
Arabic 3ala raasi sign hand on head
majnoon are you crazy Arabic sign
V sign for smoking Arab hand gestures
biting hand Arabic sign
I'm free 7orr whatever Arabic
Arabic no sign tut, cluck head tilt
Arabic hand sign expensive too much
Laa ya zalameh Arabic
Arabic sign for we're tight, like this close
shway shway slowly slowly
Slow down, wait, “shway shway”! (palm up, fingers grouped, up, down motion) Commonly displayed on Arab roads by cabbies who shun hi-tech indicators & signals. Arm thrust out of window, hand wagging. Can carry a covert threat: Just you wait, I’ll show you. If brought down from higher up, and held, can register appreciation, a favorable rating.
Angry Arab
Pissed-off: (the "A OK" gesture, inverted, thumb and index pressed together, 3 fingers extended - shake/twist it up and down.) You see this and you run! Implies retribution or discipline: “I’ll show you!” Compounded with the shway shway of slide 1, you get combo gesture “Just wait, I’ll show you”, in which case duck for cover.
Arabic thumb-bite for broke or cheap
I am broke! "Ma fi Floos" or the jibe, You’re cheap! (thumb under front teeth, flick it outwards) Either way, this is a financial cue— to indicate the state of the signer or reflect the receiver as skint (penniless) or stingy. Not to be confused with Shakespeare's thumb-biting insults!
Hand twist what's up Arabic hand sign
What’s wrong? or Explain? (The hand twist, rotation) “Shu Malak”? Or Lebanese, "Shu Bek"? What's up? This probing, questioning hand could even be used as a 'what are you having' when placing somebody's order -- what's your poison? What'll it be? Need something?
My eyes Arabic my pleasure
My pleasure! (point from one eye to the other with one finger, while holding other's gaze) Forget your western reference: “I'm watching you”- double fingers on eyes, which is ominous; this Arabic relation means from my eyes "Min 3ayooni" and is only a good sign, so milk the service! “I'm at your disposal.” No black eyes here!
Arabic sign for please chin stroke
Please! (cup chin between thumb and forefinger, stroke downward, through a real or imagined beard). Pleading in the name of my beard -- whiskers are a repository of Arab honor – this one's a real manipulator! Not always innocent chin-action, this coaxing could carry threatening undertones, depending on the delivery. Yes Arabs are complex.
hand to chest Arabs I don't shake hands
Hands off! Arabs use this gesture to indicate that they don't shake hands. It's the greeting in lieu of hand-shake and says: Honored to meet you, but I won't touch your womanly hand! (open hand patting your chest/heart) Partakers of the “I’m not going to shake your hand” motion are many. Men do it, women do it, people with the flu do it.
Arabic 3ala raasi sign hand on head
You've heard of hand on heart, try hand on head! I'm honored, (tap your head) — to meet you, host you, help you, ergo you're on my head. Not to be confused with western mirror on your head be it, this common Arabic gesture suggests you are up there, venerated by the head-tapper. Arab honor lies anywhere from head to beard to the female anatomy.
majnoon are you crazy Arabic sign
Are you loco? (The hand twist next to the head) Are you crazy (majnoon?)
V sign for smoking Arab hand gestures
Can I get a smoke? (V-shaped fingers near your lips, raised eyebrows) You see this one a lot in the Middle East, a safe haven for smoking, where smokers (aka everybody) light up and take long lingering drags with reckless abandon like it's 1969.
biting hand Arabic sign
I’m restraining myself! or 'Oops, sorry, I slipped up' (the hand bite) - Often, I'm holding myself back, or getting a grip, and the only reason I’m not beating the living daylights out of you is because we’re in public. You've messed with the wrong Arab: you're in trouble! Try the chin stroke here (slide number 6) for mercy.
I'm free 7orr whatever Arabic
I’m free to do whatever I want! Because I can! Whatever! "'Hurr"! (Touch your temple with your index finger) Someone asks why or how come you did something; you touch your temple with a smug look that says “'hurr” – because I’m free to do so or because I’m smart, cool, hard enough. In other words, 'just because!' (in Arabic, 'haik)
Arabic no sign tut, cluck head tilt
The simple everyday but often absolute “No” (head tilted back, eyebrows raised, include clucking the tongue for added 'na-uh' effect and emphasis) Nope, nah, refusal, not happening, not doing. Insolent coming from a child.
Arabic hand sign expensive too much
No way, or WTF? (Shaking both hands hovering over in a fanning motion, just before your shoulders while saying or implying silently “Yee! Shu hada? or an exclamation of wow, as – Ya Waladeh!!”) Expressing your disbelief or incredulity at how ridiculous /expensive /unbelievable or unacceptable something is.
Laa ya zalameh Arabic
No way, man, that's not cool (dude): "Laa Ya Zalameh!" Another Arabic catch-all, this implies objection in the strongest terms (hand extended out in universal block but with sideways tilting, no, stop, you cannot be serious).
Arabic sign for we're tight, like this close
We’re tight! We’re so close, like family (Two separate hand index fingers held next to each other, parallel) Arabic colloquial: “khosh bosh”..

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