Gesture in Different Languages
Discover 'Gesture' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A gesture is a form of non-verbal communication in which we use body movements to convey information, emotions, or requests. From a wave 'hello' to a nod 'yes', gestures are a significant part of human interaction and can vary greatly between cultures. In some cultures, for example, a 'thumbs up' is a positive affirmation, while in others, it can be considered rude. Understanding gestures in different languages and cultures is crucial for effective communication and building strong relationships.
Gestures have been an essential part of human history, with cave paintings depicting early humans using hand gestures to communicate as far back as 40,000 years ago. Moreover, gestures can also play a vital role in accessibility, helping those who are deaf or hard of hearing to communicate more effectively.
If you're interested in learning more about the cultural significance of gestures and how to translate them into different languages, keep reading! Here are some sample translations to get you started:
Gesture
Gesture in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | gebaar | ||
| Afrikaans gebaar derives from Dutch and means not only "gesture" but "deportment" and "conduct". | |||
| Amharic | የእጅ ምልክት | ||
| Hausa | ishara | ||
| The word 'ishara' in Hausa is derived from Arabic and can also refer to a sign, symbol, or clue. | |||
| Igbo | mmegharị ahụ | ||
| Malagasy | fihetsika | ||
| The word "fihetsika" can also refer to a movement of the body, or a particular way of carrying oneself. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | manja | ||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) 'manja' comes from the Bantu root '-anji' with the same meaning. | |||
| Shona | chiratidzo | ||
| The word "chiratidzo" (gesture) in Shona is also used to refer to a sign or signal. | |||
| Somali | tilmaam | ||
| The noun 'tilmaam' comes from the verb 'tali' meaning to tell or to say. | |||
| Sesotho | boitšisinyo | ||
| In Sesotho, the word "boitšisinyo" not only means "gesture", but also refers to "a way of doing something" or "a habit" | |||
| Swahili | ishara | ||
| Ishara can also mean 'signal', and in some contexts can refer to a 'secret' or 'code'. | |||
| Xhosa | umqondiso | ||
| Umqondiso is also used in Xhosa for a ritualistic dance performed in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. | |||
| Yoruba | idari | ||
| "Idari" also means "sign" or "movement" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | isenzo | ||
| Isenzo is a Zulu word meaning "gesture," but its etymology can also be traced to "an action taken," "a signal," and "a motion passed." | |||
| Bambara | taamasiyɛn | ||
| Ewe | asidada | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibimenyetso | ||
| Lingala | elembo | ||
| Luganda | akabonero | ||
| Sepedi | taetšo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nneyɛeɛ | ||
Gesture in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | لفتة | ||
| The word "لفتة" originally meant "a glance, a look" in Arabic, but now also refers to a "gesture". | |||
| Hebrew | מחווה | ||
| The word "מחווה" in Hebrew has the same root as "חווה", meaning "to experience" or "to live through", suggesting that a gesture is an expression of one's experience. | |||
| Pashto | اشاره | ||
| The Pashto word 'اشاره' can also mean 'sign' or 'hint'. | |||
| Arabic | لفتة | ||
| The word "لفتة" originally meant "a glance, a look" in Arabic, but now also refers to a "gesture". | |||
Gesture in Western European Languages
| Albanian | gjest | ||
| The word "gjest" in Albanian can also mean "movement" or "sign". | |||
| Basque | keinua | ||
| In Basque, the word "keinua" can also refer to a type of traditional Basque dance. | |||
| Catalan | gest | ||
| The Catalan word "gest" also denotes the legal right to manage another person's property during that person's incapacity. | |||
| Croatian | gesta | ||
| The Croatian word "gesta" originates from the Latin word "gestus", meaning "bodily movement" or "attitude". | |||
| Danish | håndbevægelse | ||
| Håndbevægelse, meaning gesture in Danish, originates from the Old Norse "hendfang" (hand grasp). | |||
| Dutch | gebaar | ||
| In the sense of a facial expression it can be derived from "gebeer" ("behavior") or "gebaren" (to behave). | |||
| English | gesture | ||
| The word 'gesture' can also refer to a symbolic action used to communicate a particular emotion or intention. | |||
| French | geste | ||
| The French word "geste" can also refer to a medieval epic poem or a series of heroic deeds, both derived from the Latin "gestum," meaning "deed" or "accomplishment." | |||
| Frisian | gebeart | ||
| Frisian "gebeart" originated as a cognate of the English word "behavior" and the German "Gebaren". | |||
| Galician | xesto | ||
| The Galician word "xesto" is sometimes used to refer to an angry or impulsive outburst. | |||
| German | geste | ||
| The etymology of "Geste" in German is the Latin word "gestus", which means "bearing, demeanor, conduct". | |||
| Icelandic | látbragð | ||
| The Icelandic word "látbragð" can also refer to a person's temperament, character or disposition. | |||
| Irish | gotha | ||
| Gotha is also the Irish word for "act" or "play" (as a drama), and the name of a goddess in Celtic mythology. | |||
| Italian | gesto | ||
| The Italian word "gesto" originally meant "action" or "deed" and is still used in that sense in legal contexts. | |||
| Luxembourgish | geste | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Geste" can also mean "behavior" or "attitude". | |||
| Maltese | ġest | ||
| The Maltese word "ġest" is derived from the French word "geste" and can also refer to a movement of the hand or a sign. | |||
| Norwegian | gest | ||
| The word "gest" in Norwegian can also refer to a "deed" or "action". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | gesto | ||
| In Portuguese, "gesto" can also mean "action", "deed", "achievement", or "attitude". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gluasad-bodhaig | ||
| The word "gluasad-bodhaig" in Scots Gaelic may also refer to a person's "conduct" or "behavior". | |||
| Spanish | gesto | ||
| "Gesto" comes from the Latin "gestum," which could also mean deed or act. | |||
| Swedish | gest | ||
| The word gest, which means "guest" in Modern Swedish, is derived from Old Norse and could also mean an invited ally fighting alongside the main forces. | |||
| Welsh | ystum | ||
| ‘Ystum’ derives from the Old Irish ‘gesta’ or ‘gesstum’, both of which stem from the Latin ‘gestus’, ‘carriage’. | |||
Gesture in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | жэст | ||
| The Belarusian word "жэст" comes from the French word "geste," which means "action, deed, or movement." | |||
| Bosnian | gesta | ||
| The word "gesta" in Bosnian also means "deed" or "action". | |||
| Bulgarian | жест | ||
| The word 'жест' can also refer to 'sign language' or 'a motion made to convey a message'. | |||
| Czech | gesto | ||
| In Czech, "gesto" also means "attitude" or "demeanor". | |||
| Estonian | žest | ||
| "Žest" is derived from the French word "geste", meaning "deed" or "action". | |||
| Finnish | ele | ||
| In Finnish "ele" can also mean a hand or a paw, deriving from Proto-Uralic *el- | |||
| Hungarian | gesztus | ||
| In Hungarian "gesztus" also means "gesture" in the sense of body movement or action that conveys a feeling, emotion, or thought. | |||
| Latvian | žests | ||
| The word "Žests" derives from the Latin word "gestus" and also means "action" or "movement" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | gestas | ||
| In Lithuanian, the word "gestas" can also mean "feat" or "deed". | |||
| Macedonian | гест | ||
| The word "гест" in Macedonian comes from the Latin word "gestus" meaning "motion of the body". | |||
| Polish | gest | ||
| The Polish word "gest" also refers to facial expressions or body language. | |||
| Romanian | gest | ||
| "Gest" in Romanian means "gesture", but it also derives from the Latin "gestus", meaning "bearing" or "carriage" | |||
| Russian | жест | ||
| The word "жест" (gesture) in Russian is derived from the Latin word "gestus", meaning "carriage of the body, posture, attitude". | |||
| Serbian | геста | ||
| The word 'геста' (gesture) in Serbian originally meant 'deed' or 'action'. | |||
| Slovak | gesto | ||
| V slovenčine slovo gesto (gesto) tiež znamená výraz tváre, mimiku, škleb. | |||
| Slovenian | gesta | ||
| In Slovenian, the word "gesta" can also mean "face" or "mimicry". | |||
| Ukrainian | жест | ||
| The word "жест" can also mean "a gesture made to show contempt or mockery". | |||
Gesture in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অঙ্গভঙ্গি | ||
| "অঙ্গভঙ্গি" also means "makeup" in Sanskrit. | |||
| Gujarati | હાવભાવ | ||
| Hindi | इशारा | ||
| 'इशारा' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'संकेत', meaning 'sign', 'indication', or 'gesture'. | |||
| Kannada | ಗೆಸ್ಚರ್ | ||
| It is derived from the Sanskrit word "geshtura," meaning "action" or "deed". | |||
| Malayalam | ആംഗ്യം | ||
| The Malayalam word "ആംഗ്യം" comes from the Sanskrit word "आंग" meaning "part of the body" and is related to the English word "anatomy". | |||
| Marathi | हावभाव | ||
| The word "हावभाव" also refers to the movements of various organs of the body like the eyes, brows, lips, and neck to express a particular state of mind. | |||
| Nepali | इशारा | ||
| The word "इशारा" also has alternate meanings like "hint" or "sign". | |||
| Punjabi | ਇਸ਼ਾਰੇ | ||
| The word 'ਇਸ਼ਾਰੇ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'अञ्जलि' (añjali) which means 'to join the hands or to fold the hands in greeting' | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අභිනය | ||
| The term 'abhinaya' is also used in Sanskrit theatre and classical Indian dance forms, where it refers to the art of expressing emotions and conveying a narrative through body language, facial expressions, and gestures. | |||
| Tamil | சைகை | ||
| The Tamil word "சைகை" can also mean "signal" or "sign". | |||
| Telugu | సంజ్ఞ | ||
| In Telugu, "సంజ్ఞ" (gesture) also signifies a bodily position or attitude that conveys a meaning. | |||
| Urdu | اشارہ | ||
| The word "اشارہ" (ishara) in Urdu is derived from the Arabic word "أشار" (ashara), meaning "to point out". However, it can also refer to a sign, a gesture, an indication, or a hint. | |||
Gesture in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 手势 | ||
| "手势" also refers to the sign language used by deaf or hard-of-hearing people. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 手勢 | ||
| 手勢 (手式), an abbreviation of 手勢語 (手式語), is a noun used in Chinese that also refers to 'sign' or 'sign language'. | |||
| Japanese | ジェスチャー | ||
| Originally written in kanji as ジェスチュア, the word now appears in katakana due to influence from English pronunciation. | |||
| Korean | 몸짓 | ||
| The term "몸짓" is derived from the Chinese character "身", meaning "body", and "짓", meaning "action" or "movement". | |||
| Mongolian | дохио | ||
| The word 'дохио' can also mean 'sign' or 'signal'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အမူအရာ | ||
Gesture in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sikap | ||
| Sikap's root in Javanese/Sundanese refers to a person's spiritual essence or composure, distinct from its modern-day meaning. | |||
| Javanese | patrap | ||
| The word "patrap" in Javanese can also mean "behaviour". | |||
| Khmer | កាយវិការ | ||
| The word "កាយវិការ" in Khmer can also refer to a person's physical appearance or physique. | |||
| Lao | gesture | ||
| The word "gesture" (ທ່າທາງ) in Lao is used both to describe a movement or posture, and also to refer to a theatrical or dance routine. | |||
| Malay | gerak isyarat | ||
| The Malay word "gerak isyarat" derives from Old Javanese "grak", which also means "to dance" and "to act". | |||
| Thai | ท่าทาง | ||
| The word 'ท่าทาง' can also mean 'manner' or 'appearance'. | |||
| Vietnamese | cử chỉ | ||
| "Cử chỉ" originated from Sino-Vietnamese, meaning "to move" or "to point a finger". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kilos | ||
Gesture in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | jest | ||
| "Jest" in Azerbaijani also means "joke" or "mockery". | |||
| Kazakh | қимыл | ||
| “Қимыл” (qi’myl) in Kazakh can also mean “movement” or “action.” | |||
| Kyrgyz | жаңсоо | ||
| The word "жаңсоо" may also mean "movement" or "action" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | имову ишора | ||
| Turkmen | yşarat | ||
| Uzbek | imo-ishora | ||
| The Uzbek word "imo-ishora" is also used to refer to sign language, and has the alternate meaning of "sign". | |||
| Uyghur | قول ئىشارىسى | ||
Gesture in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hōʻailona | ||
| The word "hōʻailona" can refer to either giving or receiving a sign or gesture. | |||
| Maori | tohu | ||
| The word "tohu" in Māori has multiple meanings, including "sign", "omen", and "evidence", and can also refer to a physical gesture or a non-verbal communication. | |||
| Samoan | taga | ||
| Taga can also mean 'to direct', 'to point', or 'to show' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kilos | ||
| The Tagalog word "kilos" can also refer to a person's mannerisms or behavior. | |||
Gesture in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uñnaqa | ||
| Guarani | teterechaukapy | ||
Gesture in International Languages
| Esperanto | gesto | ||
| The Esperanto word "gesto" is derived from the Italian word "gesto", meaning "action". | |||
| Latin | motus | ||
| "Motus" may refer to a physical movement, a mental or emotional stirring, or a signal. | |||
Gesture in Others Languages
| Greek | χειρονομία | ||
| The word "χειρονομία" also refers to an ancient type of shorthand in which words or syllables were expressed with hand gestures. | |||
| Hmong | yoj tes | ||
| The word "yoj tes" can also mean "motion" or "movement" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | bidestûlepnîşandanî | ||
| Turkish | mimik | ||
| In French, the word "mimique" also means "facial expression". | |||
| Xhosa | umqondiso | ||
| Umqondiso is also used in Xhosa for a ritualistic dance performed in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. | |||
| Yiddish | האַווייַע | ||
| In Yiddish, the word "haveye" (האווייַע) is similar to the Yiddish word "have" (האבען) meaning "to have"} | |||
| Zulu | isenzo | ||
| Isenzo is a Zulu word meaning "gesture," but its etymology can also be traced to "an action taken," "a signal," and "a motion passed." | |||
| Assamese | ভংগীমা | ||
| Aymara | uñnaqa | ||
| Bhojpuri | हाव-भाव | ||
| Dhivehi | އިޝާރާތް | ||
| Dogri | शारा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kilos | ||
| Guarani | teterechaukapy | ||
| Ilocano | garaw | ||
| Krio | aw yu mek yu an | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئاماژە | ||
| Maithili | हाव-भाव | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯪꯒꯤꯠ | ||
| Mizo | zaizir | ||
| Oromo | milikkita qaamaan kennuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅଙ୍ଗଭଙ୍ଗୀ | | ||
| Quechua | yachapay | ||
| Sanskrit | व्यंजकाः | ||
| Tatar | ишарә | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣካላዊ ምንቅስቓስ | ||
| Tsonga | xeweta | ||