People rely more heavily on hand gestures and body language when in situations where they are unable to verbally interact with someone. But did you know that not all hand gestures mean the same thing in every country? For example, gestures that we Indians use on a daily basis to portray positive emotion or agreement might mean something highly offensive in a foreign land. If you don’t want to inadvertently offend your host in a foreign country, here are a few gestures an Indian should acquaint oneself with before sailing abroad. Take a look.

The Ok sign

The simple hand signal where you put your thumb and the index finger together to create a circular shape says it all – good, perfect, awesome, great, fantastic, or mind blowing. However, using the ok symbol in countries like Greece, Turkey, Brazil or the Middle East countries is not a good idea. This gesture is viewed as highly vulgar and is often used to indicate that you are calling someone homosexual. On the other hand in France and in Belgium, it means calling someone a cipher.

The Corna / Rock On

Do not try to act cool and make the corna (the Karna mudra of Buddha and a rock symbol) in countries like Italy, Brazil, Colombia and Spain. This gesture could land you in deep trouble. It’s often used to indicate that the person you’re insulting is thick enough not to know when their partner’s cheating on them.

Thumbs up

In many areas of the world, a thumbs up signal is interpreted as meaning “Okay” or “I agree.” However, a simple ‘thumbs up’ will land you in trouble in Italy, Iraq, Iran, Greece, West Africa and Russia.  It is akin to ‘up your ass’ over there.

Cross fingers

Sure, you’re crossing your fingers and hoping that everything goes according to plan. But, never cross your fingers to wish for good luck in Vietnam. You will be actually in great trouble for apparently insulting someone by showing the symbol for the female genitals. So crossing your fingers to wish them good luck is definitely not a good idea, don’t you think?

The V sign

The V sign that Indians generally make to denote victory or peace, when used in Australia and England means ‘up your ass’.

Talk to the Hand/ Palm Out

We would usually use this gesture to shut someone up, disrupt a conversation or even indicate that we’re done listening to someone. But, you should never use this gesture of extending your palm out to stop someone in Greece or Africa. In Greece it is akin to telling people to go to hell, while in Africa it is a slang to say that they have five fathers. Yeah, it is that insulting.

In Pakistan, showing someone the palm of your hand represents a curse, in the Persian Gulf it is an insult mainly used by women and in Mexico showing someone your palm while repeatedly moving it towards the receiver means that you are warning them that you may take action they won’t like.

The little finger

Never try to ask the way to the loo by holding up your little finger or the pinky in UK. You will be actually telling a man that he has a little penis.

Pat on Head

To most of us, patting someone on the head is affectionate, it’s almost a sign that you think they’re cute! Well, patting on the head is not cool in Buddhist countries. Buddhists however, believe that the spirit lives on top of the head. So, patting their head is literally like touching them somewhere really private!

Table manners

Something as normal as eating with elbows on the table in India is considered rude in Mexico. It can cause serious hurt to your host because you are calling them stingy in that way.

Crossed arms

Crossing your arms in front of you is considered a huge sign of arrogance in Finland. Standing with this posture in a bar is likely to get you into a fight.

Head shake

Most people assume that nodding your head is the universal sign for “yes” and shaking your head is the sign for “no.” But in Greece and Bulgaria, these actions are reversed. This can lead to some serious confusion if you are using these getures there.

Gesture towards You

This is more serious than you would’ve imagined. While in most countries, moving your arm towards you in a gesturing fashion means you’re telling them to come towards you. But, if you’re in Singapore and doing this gesture, you’re actually saying something very, very sinister. It means that death is coming and it’s not just insulting, it can actually see you facing a jail sentence to match the insult. Just call out to people instead.

Summon Forward

Alright, so you can’t tell people to come towards you with your hand. What about using a single, index finger instead? Don’t you dare! Several hand gestures in Singapore, Philippines and Japan are reserved only to be used for dogs, never humans. This is one of those few. They actually signify death, so, if you use this gesture you can as well land up in prison due to serious issues.

On the other hand, there are some gestures that are insulting according to the Indian dictionary but which are good meaning gestures in foreign land. Take a look at them!

Tongue sticking out

Sticking your tongue out is an insult in India. However, it’s a sign of respect in Tibet.

Spitting

Spitting is considered as an insult in India and a blessing in Kenya.

Shaka

Lapetana in India, sign of compassion and friendship in Hawaii.

Fig

A clenched fist with your thumb between your first and second fingers means the female genitalia in India. And in Turkey, Russia, and Indonesia, it means “screw you” (to put it mildly). But it wishes for a good fortune in Brazil.