The OK sign is totally fine in Germany. You might run into people from other areas of Europe or the world that won't understand it but for Germans the OK sign is just fine.
yes, it is the 180° turned ok sign, that's a problem here. Followed by a childish : "You looked into it!" If someone looked into the circle. Wasn't my thing as a child, don't know if it has any noteworthy meaning.
As a child, I was taught: "You don't point with a naked finger at dressed people." Of course, I had to look for the loopholes: "What about if I'm wearing gloves?" and "What about pointing at naked people?"
Well my Cousin Had the Same issue, and He Just asked the teacher, what If i Just Point and raise my entire Hand at them... Well obviously she said that that was also a No go
its normally fine, but in recent years, especially in my generation (gen z) its gotten more of a White Power meaning, nobody uses the ok sign because of that
Additions from a german dude. - OK sign ist perfectly fine in germany. Do as you wish 👌 - Pointing with the finger directly on people when they notice may make them uncomftable, it´s not the gesture itself, it´s more the...focus on them, it´s like if you stare at them. If you point in a direction with this gesture, you can do that, no problem. Also if you like, you can signal a direction with a strechted out arm and a vertical flat hand. (mostly done with the left arm) Just make sure, you dont raise your right arm diagonal up with a flat hand, because it was a gesture from the era of nationalsocialism.
Pointing directly at someone 🫵🏼 we even have a saying for that in german: "you don't point with your naked finger at clothed people" 😂 That's been hammered into our brains as children
Als Alternative einfach die komplett offene Hand benutzen🤚jeweils in die entsprechende Richtung, wahlweise die Hand dann vertikal oder bei einem direkten Gesprächspartner horizontal. As an alternativ just simply use the open, flat hand 🤚corresponding to the direction you wanna show. Also u can choose between vertical or in a dialog with a specific partner horizontal.
In the area of Germany where I live, we count numbers as you showed, but we order 1 beer with the index finger, 2 beer with index and middle finger and three beer with thump, index and middle finger. Nice video, thanks for all yout content
In Italy, pulling down your lower eyelid means, "Watch out," or "I'm watching you." Basically, you're onto whatever shenanigans the other person is pulling.
It can have this meaning in Germany too. But I think more common would be just pointing at your eyelid without pulling. If you pull twice or even more often, then it definitely signals sarcasm.
I'm from the Netherlands (where we do have the phrase 'duimen' but not this gesture) and I just saw someone do it for the first time this summer - the tow truck driver who took us and our car to the garage and wished us luck!
Several of these also exist in France, but the "pulling down your eye" one would be an expression of doubt there, not sarcasm. As in, "I don't believe a word of what you just said".
I'd say is often a combination of doubt and sarcasm, like "He said X" *pull eye lid** means "He said X and I'm sarcastically pretend to believe it ". But it can also be used just to show you are sarcastic right now.
It depends on the circumstances of the gesture. In the first case, I agree with you that this is rude (if you also extend your arm towards the person) However, if the arm is relaxed (usually at stomach level and therefore not aimed directly at you) and the pointing finger and hand only briefly point at the person, the gesture should be interpreted as "You got it".
The "crazy" one is often called Scheibenwischer (windscreen wiper) in Austria. It's very common here, even our Federal President has been known to do it on camera - expressing his opinion about certain political positions.
@@jetsetjeski you'd be better off, giving people the thumbs up! Pressing your thumbs is more specific "good luck with that!" Which people might find confusing if they're not attempting something special at that moment. Other than that, enjoy Weihnachtsmärkte and Glühwein!
1:00 is "showing the bird" There is a similar gesture but with a completely different meaning. If you don't point your index fingertip directly at your forehead but tap the side of this finger (the side that points towards your thumb) on your temple, this gesture means "You are smart"
When I'm discussing something with someone and he has an argument that I agree with, I point my index finger at him and nod at the same time, which means something like "you're right."
pointing fingers at people you don't know is considered a little bit rude - we teach kids to point at objects but not at people (in order not to objectify people) You can use your entire/open hand in a presenting gesture pointing towards someone - totally fine - best accompanied by referring to them verbally "That Lady/Gentleman" Also, you can point at your friends, they won't bother :) Pointing at strangers is a bit like exposing or blaming them for something - so if it's a thief or pickpocket and Cops are around... you do point. with your index. ;-)
If you do the OK sign with the three fingers upwards its ok, if the three fingers are downwards it's more like a childish game, where you have to avoid looking into the hole, kinda like the game or rick rolling
I know the „okay“ sign to show something which is really really good - like delicious food or something. Never heard that it is rude and I am nearly 40 but probably in some regions it is rude? Not sure, we are weird people :D
Thanks Mark. Taking my first solo trip to Germany next week. One thing you've left me puzzling over, though: how do you make sure you are signalling 'table for one please' and not just giving a random thumbs up of positivity?
I never signal that. But I also don't pay attention to the way someone holds up two or three fingers. Depending on the restaurant you won't even be seated and just pick a table yourself. Otherwise it's easiest to just talk the the waiter. Or you can resort to online reservations if available.
He was wrong about that one, you would use your index-finger if you want to signal "just one". Thumb up m,eans ok unless you use your hand to count more than 1. Also using your index and middle finger to signal "2" is perfectly fine.
Interesting.....here in the Netherlands we do use a similar gesture to point out someone is an idiot, but then very specifically tapping the middle of your forehead. Very popular gesture in traffic! Meanwhile tapping the side of your head would rather mean smart, big brain. We don't do the wave thing here for crazy/weird, but instead have a gesture that mostly looks like you're grabbing a fly right in front of your face.
When it comes to tipping your forehead we have both gestures you described in Germany as well. But he is not wrong that tipping the side of your forehead could also mean your crazy in Germany. It's hard to explain how to tell the two side tipping gestures apart, if you didn't grow up with it. I think typically the tipping for 'your crazy' would be faster than that for 'your smart' and could sometimes also involve some twisting of your finger. You could also just touch your forehead without tapping and twist your finger and we have the circle motion next to your head as well.
don't tuck in your thumbs for 'good luck' - close your fist and put the thumbs on top. tucking them in (closing the fingers around the thumbs) is like throwing the luck in the well - that's like wishing someone bad luck!
Clenching your right fist while raising your right forearm, palm side up and aggressively slapping your right bicep with the other hand is saying “get lost”.
"Man zeigt nicht mit dem nackten Finger auf angezogene Leute!" so we were taught as children not to point your finger at people ;-) Thank you reminding me of my German gestures. I was not aware of most of them as they come kind of automatically.
Well... there is one more gesture that not only you should not do but is actually highly illegal and can land you in jail. Many years ago my uncle who was a Colonel at the time and my aunt were stationed in Germany and we went to visit them during the summer. We spent about two weeks traveling around and seeing all the sights and giggling at the exit signs (Ausfart lol). We even went to the Eagles nest and spent a night in the hotel at the base of the property before taking a bus up and walking around. So my grandfather and I thought it would be funny to goose-step and salute and saying "the words" while in the parking lot heading towards the hotel (honestly the whole place gave off massive 3rd Reich vibes so we didn't think nothing of it, it was history). I have never seen my uncle AND my aunt go into an absolute panic attack screaming at us to stop and running at us. There is nothing more scary than a panicked U.S. Colonel. Thankfully we weren't seen because apparently its actually illegal to do it because of the shame from the atrocities that were committed and you will go to jail. Yes it was dumb but I was a kid (I think I was like 13).
It''s considered unconstitutional and yes, highly illegal just like many symbols related to the Third Reich. As a tourist you might get away with a stern talking to, but otherwise this could cost you a hefty fine. Jail, eh, probably not, but you would be short about a month's salary. Or two. Theoretically it could be punished with up to three years in jail, but that's rarely done.
Context does matter if you do the Hitler salute and it's not necessarily illegal. But nevertheless I would be careful. To a German it's most likely not funny.
I only use the ok sing to signal that the food is perfect But there is no problem to use it (in some other european countrys it could be seen as a insult)
As some pointed out already, the OK-Sign ist „OK“ in Germany. As far as I know the OK-Sign is be a bad sign in southern Europe, as in Italy oder Spain. It means a..hole. I don‘t agree 100% with the counting with fingers. If you want one of something, you could use any finger (beside the middle one😂). Every number starting with 2 and higher we use the thumb as „1“ and the following finger as „2“ and so on. But that is my opinion and my experience..maybe I am wrong😮
@@JeanChordeiles Is has a connection to blindness. 🙂 You would probaly use it in a traffic conflict, for example if a car driver nearly overuns someone walking afoot or on a bicycle or nearly hit another car - it also works both ways. If then one person waves his hands in front of his face he wants to signal "Bist du so bescheuert, dass du mich nicht gesehen hast?" - "Is your mind so scratched, that you didn't have seen me?"
@@red.aries1444 : Intéressant. Mais, dans ma culture, la perception et la compréhension sont différenciés (au moins dans cette situation). Quoi qu'il en soit, il est utile de connaître d'autres langages. Merci.
But in Northrhine-Westfalia I know a lot of people - me included- who actually use the "ok-sign" for good and tasty food. Especially when you still chew your first bite. Because many germans can't wait to get an answer on how good their food is. xD . and I'll be like *chewing* "mmm mmm ya' 'at's 'ood" *ok sign* ..... xD
German here. We actually usually just say „Ich drück dir die Daumen“, but don‘t physically do it. It‘s seen as kind of cheesy if you really do it. The OK sign is just fine if done right. The „bad“ sign is a little different. The whole „signing numbers with your hands is different in Germany“ is nonsense. We understand all types and we USE all kinds. We say „Zeig nicht mit dem nackten Finger auf angezogene Leute“, which translates to „Don‘t point with your naked finger at dressed people“.
I was in Germany 2 weeks ago. Went to Berlin for IFA and went to Munich for the day to BMW Welt ❤️ Both amazing cities, so clean and the transport, wow! Compared to the UK where I'm from, completely different. Will definitely be going to Germany again soon 🍻 totally forgot about their recycling too. Chucked a plastic bottle in the bin on the 1st day, then someone picked it out the bin! Then I remembered, you get money back when you recycle your bottles & cans 😁
Wait, you thought Berlin is clean? It has been some time since the last time I was there, but I think it's one of the dirtier German cities. Munich of cause is a different story.
@@Flo-vn9ty from the parts of Berlin I visited, yes, I thought it was clean 👍 I stayed in Ludwigsfelde for 4 days and visited Messe for IFA. Compared to where I'm from, Newport, UK, Berlin was clean & tidy 😉👍
You did not mention the "Armlänge Abstand" gesture (an arm's length distance). That straightend arm with the hand risen up was politically advised for women by the mayor of Cologne after the surge of sexual harassments and assaults, that were committed by a migrant mob during the New Years Eve of 2015. A very important gesture in these days of mass migration to keep potential perpetrators at distance.
Another thing to mention about the crazy/weird gesture is that it is usually not meant in a funny way, people who are mad do this, for example when road raging
lol - it's pretty warm in Bamberg right now. This video must have been edited last November or December. You even see the "Glühwein"-huts from the christmas market
Might be true in Bavaria, but only a few of these are used in Berlin as well and some very common ones amongst Berliners were not shown here. Therefore be aware of regional differences.Anyway, good video!
No. I think this video was recorded in early december last year. Bamberg, where this was recorded, is actually having a few sunny days, after a rather cold and rainy start to the month. Other places, mostly in east Germany are having issues with very heavy rain and flooding right now.
The "okay sign" as something naughty or negative, that's an Italian or Turkish import from the 20th century, AFAIK. But I'm from the east, so things are different here, yet, and that stuff came to us only after 1990.
Otto Waalkes did the voice of Mushu the dragon in the German version of Disney's Mulan. (I had found out about a German comedian named Otto Waalkes from watching the special features of my Disneys Mulan DVD set when they were talking about the translation of Disney's Mulan in multiple different languages, which is how I eventually discovered a German comedian named Otto Waalkes)
As many said, the ok 👌 sign is perfectly fine in Germany. But I remember that a friend run into som funny trouble when he used that in Italy. We all had a good laugh, but the receiver of that guesture was totally confused why my friend was all of the sudden so rude.
Well you CAN point with your finger at people, but if your friends or familiar with them, you can get "Man zeigt nicht mit nackten Fingern auf Menschen. (You didn't point at people with naked fingers.)" or a "Wer auf andre zeigt, zeigt mit 4 Fingern auf sich selbst. (Who points at others, points on himself with 4 fingers.)" as response to it. Its some easy/ fun way to state that in germany you didn't point at others (in such direct way). Thats what i learned.
Pointing your finger at a person comes usually with some negative conversation, like "Hey you, I've seen what you did." or like "You're in trouble now." It sometimes came also with bad comment about someone "Seen him, he's so ....!" - and there is a german saying: "Do not forget - if you point a finger on someone, three of your fingers are pointing directly at yourself!" And the "OK" sign is okay for Germans, but as we are in the middle of a multicultural EU some other people might come to some bad conclusions about what you mean.
The "diver's OK sign" is understood in Western Germany! I once had big trouble with an English guy in Germany who thought I meant "a**hol"! The "diver's sign" means "perfect, excellent, well done" in Germany!
You don't have to pull as strong like that on your eyelid to get the point across, usually just lightly pulling your cheek down with one finger is enough.
I don't think the way people count with their fingers is this universal across germany. I count like this, and always have: ☝️✌️ then for 3 I add the thumb, 4 is all fingers except the thumb, and 5 is all 5 fingers. I never used the ones shown here, and I never had an issue ordering 1 beer. also tge ok sign is totally fine. 👌
I thought about that and then it dawned on me: I never even ordered a beer by showing handsignals. Instead I wave/signal the waiter to come to the table and tell them who wants to order which item. (I'm really old and still completely unexperienced in "silent" ordering.) 😅
1:31 This my finger counting for ordering: 1 = index finger 2 = index finger + middle finger, sometimes thumb + index finger 3 = thumb + index finger + middle finger 4 = every finger except thump 5 = every finger I live in Germany and until now my ordering counting was understood and caused no misunderstanding. Maybe it was stricter in the past. For normal counting I start with my thumb and follow the normal counting row.
0:55 we even have a name for that: jemandem den Vogel zeigen - "to show someone the bird". I guess it means that you have a little bird in your head and you're coo coo crazy - although it can of course refer to a third party, for example if you're telling a story in which you are confronted with some crazy expectations.
I'm very interested in cultural differences (especially USA-GER) and really thought that these gestures would be valid internationally. There's always something new to learn.
Hand- and especially arm gestures are historically very important to germans and at the moment they rediscover some of them. Some half of the Germans are now "Wutbürger" ("permanently causeless upset citizens") and they may react very strange to any gesture of you, but thats maybe not because of the gesture. It's because you're not german. So don't mind. Be careful with irony or sarcasm, even if you use matching gestures. A lot of Germans will take everything seriously so they can meke themselves upset about you. If that happens, just say "Die Ampel ist schuld" and they will be your best friends instantly.
Pressing thumbs is not really often used, the ok-gesture is PERFECTLY fine, even a bit posh. And the counting got explained several times in the comments. It is NOT anymore unusual to make the victory sign for "2". So, to sum it up- this video was not sooo helpful... ;)
I'm german and actually don't know which bad meaning is supposed to be associated with the OK sign. It's true that I mainly use thumbs up but would interpret the 👌 as nothing different (or perhaps as "perfect", depending on the context)
I once learnt that in some regions it means... a... hole. However, I never encountered this myself. As I am Norther German and predominantly have lived in the North and West, this might be a Southern German thing? - I seriously have no idea.
@@musikrausch2675 Yep, maybe. Or in a certain context. I take it this meaning is also established in Italy and Spain. So maybe in Jobs which traditionally had a great deal of foreign workers (who in the early 1960ies would be from Italy and later also from Spain, Portugal…), as in construction or mining, this meaning was established by those immigrant workers?
The OK sign is totally fine in Germany. You might run into people from other areas of Europe or the world that won't understand it but for Germans the OK sign is just fine.
yes, it is the 180° turned ok sign, that's a problem here. Followed by a childish : "You looked into it!" If someone looked into the circle. Wasn't my thing as a child, don't know if it has any noteworthy meaning.
Absolutely, he mixed that up with another country (don’t remember which one it is), where it is not Ok to do that sign
@@juliane__ But that's not really the a-ok sign. The ok sign is understood here.
Palm out means OK/great/delicious. Palm towards your body means a…h…
absolutly, dont know where he got his info
As a child, I was taught: "You don't point with a naked finger at dressed people."
Of course, I had to look for the loopholes: "What about if I'm wearing gloves?" and "What about pointing at naked people?"
🤣same here !
I find it extremely rude to point at naked people! Even with a naked finger!
can't point at naked people if you're wearing gloves
Well my Cousin Had the Same issue, and He Just asked the teacher, what If i Just Point and raise my entire Hand at them... Well obviously she said that that was also a No go
Silliest sentence of my childhood. I still don't get its meaning. Just silly
The ok sign is pervectly fine in Germany. Maybe it means more like „perfect“ or „delicious“
its normally fine, but in recent years, especially in my generation (gen z) its gotten more of a White Power meaning, nobody uses the ok sign because of that
Also jetzt benutz ich das öfters@@randisusz9881
@@randisusz9881 What is "white power"? I guess you mean something "racist", but I've never heard the term.
if you put that OK-fingers to your corner of the mouth means "delicious/perfect" ( you can combinate it with a popping/kissing sound of your lips)
@@Neonblue84 no one ever does this in germany
Remember Michael Fassbender in Inglourious Basterds😅😂
Helly Hansen!
"Drei Gläser"
I never get tired of that scene.
Additions from a german dude.
- OK sign ist perfectly fine in germany. Do as you wish 👌
- Pointing with the finger directly on people when they notice may make them uncomftable, it´s not the gesture itself, it´s more the...focus on them, it´s like if you stare at them. If you point in a direction with this gesture, you can do that, no problem. Also if you like, you can signal a direction with a strechted out arm and a vertical flat hand. (mostly done with the left arm)
Just make sure, you dont raise your right arm diagonal up with a flat hand, because it was a gesture from the era of nationalsocialism.
Yes, your teacher calls on you with a flat hand, palm facing upwards.
The OK sign... it depends if you stick the index finger of your other hand through the "hole" in a sliding manner. That could be considered rude.
Pointing directly at someone 🫵🏼 we even have a saying for that in german: "you don't point with your naked finger at clothed people" 😂 That's been hammered into our brains as children
Also "When you point a finger at another person, three are pointing at you"
Als Alternative einfach die komplett offene Hand benutzen🤚jeweils in die entsprechende Richtung, wahlweise die Hand dann vertikal oder bei einem direkten Gesprächspartner horizontal.
As an alternativ just simply use the open, flat hand 🤚corresponding to the direction you wanna show. Also u can choose between vertical or in a dialog with a specific partner horizontal.
@@grisueitorf make sure not to use it aggressively or too stiffly or it may look like the offering of a slap to the face.
But FKK point away I suppose
In the area of Germany where I live, we count numbers as you showed, but we order 1 beer with the index finger, 2 beer with index and middle finger and three beer with thump, index and middle finger.
Nice video, thanks for all yout content
Same…NRW?
@@lynnm6413 Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg
@@toddh.3898 For beer we just have special rules 😅
In Italy, pulling down your lower eyelid means, "Watch out," or "I'm watching you." Basically, you're onto whatever shenanigans the other person is pulling.
A lot of Spanish-speaking/Latino cultures too. "Ojo!", keep an eye out.
It can have this meaning in Germany too. But I think more common would be just pointing at your eyelid without pulling. If you pull twice or even more often, then it definitely signals sarcasm.
"Ich drück dir die Daumen." is a common phrase but I've never seen anyone literally do it.
@@EdmondDantèsDE I do that and I see people doing it!
I'm from the Netherlands (where we do have the phrase 'duimen' but not this gesture) and I just saw someone do it for the first time this summer - the tow truck driver who took us and our car to the garage and wished us luck!
your childhood must have been boring and lonely. We did it all the time.
@@TheG00se81 Do you feel better now having insulted a random person over nothing?
So, if I understand correctly, if you give the thumbs up sign to indicate agreement, you get a beer. That would explain a lot.
I clicked on the "one beer please" button for this comment
Who wouldn’t agree to a beer?
I totally can confirm that 👍
...whoops, there it's coming - Cheers!
nobody ever orders just 1 beer
I like the tapping on the forehead. As if to say, use what’s in there !
Bamberg is beautiful - have to get back. Thanks Wolter!
Several of these also exist in France, but the "pulling down your eye" one would be an expression of doubt there, not sarcasm. As in, "I don't believe a word of what you just said".
"Pulling down your eye" is in germany also a sign of doubt, not sarcasm. Maybe its different in southern Gernany. I dont know ;-)
I'd say is often a combination of doubt and sarcasm, like "He said X" *pull eye lid** means "He said X and I'm sarcastically pretend to believe it ".
But it can also be used just to show you are sarcastic right now.
@@rgbx6923 When you don't believe something, by pulling down your eye you are sarcastically saying "yeah, sure buddy!"
Aside from Germany, I grew up in California and was taught that it's rude to point at people.
I think it's a very old thing from a time when people thought you want to curse them or put a spell on them if you pointed your finger at them.
It depends on the circumstances of the gesture.
In the first case, I agree with you that this is rude (if you also extend your arm towards the person)
However, if the arm is relaxed (usually at stomach level and therefore not aimed directly at you) and the pointing finger and hand only briefly point at the person, the gesture should be interpreted as "You got it".
The "crazy" one is often called Scheibenwischer (windscreen wiper) in Austria.
It's very common here, even our Federal President has been known to do it on camera - expressing his opinion about certain political positions.
It's essentially the nonverbal equivalent of the Phrase "eine Scheibe haben", which means the same thing.
@@TeaDrivenDev Which phrase, however, isn't commonly used in Austria. I've never heard it.
@@carudatta Which is funny, as I actually deleted a half sentence saying it might not be, because I then thought "surely they must know that there".
We’re going to be in Germany for Christmas! I can’t wait to press my thumbs at everyone!
@@jetsetjeski you'd be better off, giving people the thumbs up! Pressing your thumbs is more specific "good luck with that!" Which people might find confusing if they're not attempting something special at that moment.
Other than that, enjoy Weihnachtsmärkte and Glühwein!
You always make things fun, interesting - useful! Thank you, Mark for sharing!
I enjoyed this video!😊❤
The end of the video "I know what that meant" as you make a pointing gesture 😁! Hahaha just teasing, love your vids!
1:00 is "showing the bird"
There is a similar gesture but with a completely different meaning.
If you don't point your index fingertip directly at your forehead but tap the side of this finger (the side that points towards your thumb) on your temple, this gesture means "You are smart"
Herzlich willkommen zurück in Deutschland ❤🇩🇪💯
Also appearing in „Inglourious Basterds“ 😅
When I'm discussing something with someone and he has an argument that I agree with, I point my index finger at him and nod at the same time, which means something like "you're right."
I definitely learned the lesson about doing the german # 3 with your hand thanks to Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds movie scene in the tavern .
The ok-sign is something positive. It means „exzellent“.
The problem is he showed the reverse, so palm up, which means someones netherregions.
@@captbunnykiller1.0 no, Not in Germany
@@SimonC273yes, he us right
1:13 is also called "Scheibenwischer".
pointing fingers at people you don't know is considered a little bit rude - we teach kids to point at objects but not at people (in order not to objectify people)
You can use your entire/open hand in a presenting gesture pointing towards someone - totally fine - best accompanied by referring to them verbally "That Lady/Gentleman"
Also, you can point at your friends, they won't bother :)
Pointing at strangers is a bit like exposing or blaming them for something - so if it's a thief or pickpocket and Cops are around... you do point. with your index. ;-)
If you do the OK sign with the three fingers upwards its ok, if the three fingers are downwards it's more like a childish game, where you have to avoid looking into the hole, kinda like the game or rick rolling
1:13 I'd be like oh they know John Cena! 😂 😮👋🏻 😂😂😂😂
I know the „okay“ sign to show something which is really really good - like delicious food or something. Never heard that it is rude and I am nearly 40 but probably in some regions it is rude? Not sure, we are weird people :D
Thanks Mark. Taking my first solo trip to Germany next week. One thing you've left me puzzling over, though: how do you make sure you are signalling 'table for one please' and not just giving a random thumbs up of positivity?
I never signal that. But I also don't pay attention to the way someone holds up two or three fingers. Depending on the restaurant you won't even be seated and just pick a table yourself. Otherwise it's easiest to just talk the the waiter. Or you can resort to online reservations if available.
They start counting with the thumb , but if you want to say "one item" use your index. Or just talk to the guy 😊
He was wrong about that one, you would use your index-finger if you want to signal "just one". Thumb up m,eans ok unless you use your hand to count more than 1. Also using your index and middle finger to signal "2" is perfectly fine.
no worries, at most places you can seat yourself (unless its a really expensive fancy restaurant)
as an Austrian nativespeaker I can confirm, that "one" ist simply a "thumb up", with the back of your hand towards your speaking partner
Thank you for interesting information.😊
Dude, you are a great tuber 👍
The "ok-sign" is like: You looked into the Hole, now I am allowed to punch You on your Shoulder.
Interesting.....here in the Netherlands we do use a similar gesture to point out someone is an idiot, but then very specifically tapping the middle of your forehead. Very popular gesture in traffic! Meanwhile tapping the side of your head would rather mean smart, big brain.
We don't do the wave thing here for crazy/weird, but instead have a gesture that mostly looks like you're grabbing a fly right in front of your face.
En naast je hoofd rondjes draaien met je wijsvinger 😅
@@Dennis-xj8nh ach ja, die hebben we ook nog inderdaad. Voor als iemand echt helemaal kierewiet is 😄
@@WizardOfOss ja precies, hahaha! Groeten uit Rotterdam
When it comes to tipping your forehead we have both gestures you described in Germany as well. But he is not wrong that tipping the side of your forehead could also mean your crazy in Germany. It's hard to explain how to tell the two side tipping gestures apart, if you didn't grow up with it. I think typically the tipping for 'your crazy' would be faster than that for 'your smart' and could sometimes also involve some twisting of your finger. You could also just touch your forehead without tapping and twist your finger and we have the circle motion next to your head as well.
don't tuck in your thumbs for 'good luck' - close your fist and put the thumbs on top. tucking them in (closing the fingers around the thumbs) is like throwing the luck in the well - that's like wishing someone bad luck!
Kenne ich auch so, obwohl mir das Internet was anderes weismachen will.
I believe the hand waving one is mimicing checking someone's consciousness, so here it's to mean they're totally out of their mind
Clenching your right fist while raising your right forearm, palm side up and aggressively slapping your right bicep with the other hand is saying “get lost”.
The Finger on the eye can mean as well "I see what you do so don't try to fool me."
"Man zeigt nicht mit dem nackten Finger auf angezogene Leute!" so we were taught as children not to point your finger at people ;-) Thank you reminding me of my German gestures. I was not aware of most of them as they come kind of automatically.
Well... there is one more gesture that not only you should not do but is actually highly illegal and can land you in jail. Many years ago my uncle who was a Colonel at the time and my aunt were stationed in Germany and we went to visit them during the summer. We spent about two weeks traveling around and seeing all the sights and giggling at the exit signs (Ausfart lol). We even went to the Eagles nest and spent a night in the hotel at the base of the property before taking a bus up and walking around.
So my grandfather and I thought it would be funny to goose-step and salute and saying "the words" while in the parking lot heading towards the hotel (honestly the whole place gave off massive 3rd Reich vibes so we didn't think nothing of it, it was history). I have never seen my uncle AND my aunt go into an absolute panic attack screaming at us to stop and running at us. There is nothing more scary than a panicked U.S. Colonel. Thankfully we weren't seen because apparently its actually illegal to do it because of the shame from the atrocities that were committed and you will go to jail. Yes it was dumb but I was a kid (I think I was like 13).
Hopefully they would have understood that you were foreign (and a child) and been lenient.
It''s considered unconstitutional and yes, highly illegal just like many symbols related to the Third Reich. As a tourist you might get away with a stern talking to, but otherwise this could cost you a hefty fine. Jail, eh, probably not, but you would be short about a month's salary. Or two. Theoretically it could be punished with up to three years in jail, but that's rarely done.
Context does matter if you do the Hitler salute and it's not necessarily illegal. But nevertheless I would be careful. To a German it's most likely not funny.
@@hansmeiser32 Context doesn't matter in public because it's illegal and offensive..just don't do it to prevent legal trouble
@@ravanpee1325 Movie makers beg to differ.
I only use the ok sing to signal that the food is perfect
But there is no problem to use it (in some other european countrys it could be seen as a insult)
As some pointed out already, the OK-Sign ist „OK“ in Germany. As far as I know the OK-Sign is be a bad sign in southern Europe, as in Italy oder Spain. It means a..hole. I don‘t agree 100% with the counting with fingers. If you want one of something, you could use any finger (beside the middle one😂). Every number starting with 2 and higher we use the thumb as „1“ and the following finger as „2“ and so on. But that is my opinion and my experience..maybe I am wrong😮
Same here.
That's my experience as well.
Pressing thumbs is equivalent to fingers crossed
The third one looks like the John Cena “you can’t see me” move. 😂
I'm French and I understand this sign as "blind".
That’s where my mind went as well.
@@JeanChordeiles Is has a connection to blindness. 🙂
You would probaly use it in a traffic conflict, for example if a car driver nearly overuns someone walking afoot or on a bicycle or nearly hit another car - it also works both ways. If then one person waves his hands in front of his face he wants to signal "Bist du so bescheuert, dass du mich nicht gesehen hast?" - "Is your mind so scratched, that you didn't have seen me?"
@@red.aries1444 : Intéressant. Mais, dans ma culture, la perception et la compréhension sont différenciés (au moins dans cette situation). Quoi qu'il en soit, il est utile de connaître d'autres langages. Merci.
I was totally confused when I saw John Cena doing that gesture for the first time 😅
But in Northrhine-Westfalia I know a lot of people - me included- who actually use the "ok-sign" for good and tasty food. Especially when you still chew your first bite. Because many germans can't wait to get an answer on how good their food is. xD . and I'll be like *chewing* "mmm mmm ya' 'at's 'ood" *ok sign* ..... xD
'your are an idiot' is very strong in German. The gesture means actually 'you have a bird', which has also a funny side😊😊😊
German here. We actually usually just say „Ich drück dir die Daumen“, but don‘t physically do it. It‘s seen as kind of cheesy if you really do it.
The OK sign is just fine if done right. The „bad“ sign is a little different.
The whole „signing numbers with your hands is different in Germany“ is nonsense. We understand all types and we USE all kinds.
We say „Zeig nicht mit dem nackten Finger auf angezogene Leute“, which translates to „Don‘t point with your naked finger at dressed people“.
I was in Germany 2 weeks ago. Went to Berlin for IFA and went to Munich for the day to BMW Welt ❤️
Both amazing cities, so clean and the transport, wow! Compared to the UK where I'm from, completely different.
Will definitely be going to Germany again soon 🍻 totally forgot about their recycling too. Chucked a plastic bottle in the bin on the 1st day, then someone picked it out the bin! Then I remembered, you get money back when you recycle your bottles & cans 😁
Wait, you thought Berlin is clean? It has been some time since the last time I was there, but I think it's one of the dirtier German cities. Munich of cause is a different story.
@@Flo-vn9ty from the parts of Berlin I visited, yes, I thought it was clean 👍 I stayed in Ludwigsfelde for 4 days and visited Messe for IFA.
Compared to where I'm from, Newport, UK, Berlin was clean & tidy 😉👍
I am German, and often doing the OK... not only as a diver.
Nice Video. Some people in Germany take the ok sign as "assh....".
You did not mention the "Armlänge Abstand" gesture (an arm's length distance).
That straightend arm with the hand risen up was politically advised for women by the mayor of Cologne after the surge of sexual harassments and assaults, that were committed by a migrant mob during the New Years Eve of 2015.
A very important gesture in these days of mass migration to keep potential perpetrators at distance.
Another thing to mention about the crazy/weird gesture is that it is usually not meant in a funny way, people who are mad do this, for example when road raging
Been in my hometown Rostock lately? 😊
'Cause the thumbnail shows the market place with St. Mary's in front of the city hall.
lol - it's pretty warm in Bamberg right now. This video must have been edited last November or December. You even see the "Glühwein"-huts from the christmas market
Might be true in Bavaria, but only a few of these are used in Berlin as well and some very common ones amongst Berliners were not shown here. Therefore be aware of regional differences.Anyway, good video!
Is it snowing there already?
Old video
Low temperatures and terrible rain and floods all over Central Europe in the last few days!
No. I think this video was recorded in early december last year.
Bamberg, where this was recorded, is actually having a few sunny days, after a rather cold and rainy start to the month.
Other places, mostly in east Germany are having issues with very heavy rain and flooding right now.
Must be a older video. In the moment the trees still have leaves
The "okay sign" as something naughty or negative, that's an Italian or Turkish import from the 20th century, AFAIK. But I'm from the east, so things are different here, yet, and that stuff came to us only after 1990.
For everyone looking for the place in the thumbnail in Bamberg you won't find it there. It's a picture of Rostock 😅
1;47 in austria, we have a politician, who ordered 3 beers... ;-)
The ok-sign is alright in Germany, but rarely used. Probably that diminishes currently, as we turn into an arabic HQ and there it is a swear-sign.
Otto Waalkes did the voice of Mushu the dragon in the German version of Disney's Mulan. (I had found out about a German comedian named Otto Waalkes from watching the special features of my Disneys Mulan DVD set when they were talking about the translation of Disney's Mulan in multiple different languages, which is how I eventually discovered a German comedian named Otto Waalkes)
otto walkes is a legend. we grew up with him. He also did the voice over for "sid" from ice age.
Also in Afrikaans, they say holding thumbs when wishing someone good luck.
We had that one popular gesture but it's forbidden now.
As many said, the ok 👌 sign is perfectly fine in Germany. But I remember that a friend run into som funny trouble when he used that in Italy. We all had a good laugh, but the receiver of that guesture was totally confused why my friend was all of the sudden so rude.
I like the gesture for "being Sarcastic." We need to adopt that one here...
To stress the meaning we sometimes use the middlefinger on this one. Use carefully.
My Grandma used to say „Zeig nicht mit nacktem Zinger auf angezogene Leute!“ or „Don‘t point naked fingers at clothed people!“
We do that as well.
Well you CAN point with your finger at people, but if your friends or familiar with them, you can get "Man zeigt nicht mit nackten Fingern auf Menschen. (You didn't point at people with naked fingers.)" or a "Wer auf andre zeigt, zeigt mit 4 Fingern auf sich selbst. (Who points at others, points on himself with 4 fingers.)" as response to it. Its some easy/ fun way to state that in germany you didn't point at others (in such direct way).
Thats what i learned.
I have to say, I haven't seen any of these in years.
I know you said you are in Bamberg... but is that Rostock in the thumbnail?
Pointing your finger at a person comes usually with some negative conversation, like "Hey you, I've seen what you did." or like "You're in trouble now." It sometimes came also with bad comment about someone "Seen him, he's so ....!" - and there is a german saying: "Do not forget - if you point a finger on someone, three of your fingers are pointing directly at yourself!"
And the "OK" sign is okay for Germans, but as we are in the middle of a multicultural EU some other people might come to some bad conclusions about what you mean.
The "diver's OK sign" is understood in Western Germany! I once had big trouble with an English guy in Germany who thought I meant "a**hol"! The "diver's sign" means "perfect, excellent, well done" in Germany!
Love this I have a friend who is German and I saw him doing the not so bright one - when someone was talking - ooh I got some questions to ask lol
Who watched Inglourious Basterds knows how to count in German lol great tips
The OK sign is fine - the upside down (or sideways) version means A-Hole - so make sure your fingers are pointing up
You don't have to pull as strong like that on your eyelid to get the point across, usually just lightly pulling your cheek down with one finger is enough.
I don't think the way people count with their fingers is this universal across germany.
I count like this, and always have:
☝️✌️ then for 3 I add the thumb, 4 is all fingers except the thumb, and 5 is all 5 fingers.
I never used the ones shown here, and I never had an issue ordering 1 beer.
also tge ok sign is totally fine. 👌
I thought about that and then it dawned on me: I never even ordered a beer by showing handsignals. Instead I wave/signal the waiter to come to the table and tell them who wants to order which item. (I'm really old and still completely unexperienced in "silent" ordering.) 😅
heheh i m german and i also do the ok sign,,, im german but im also a scuba diver so
1:31 This my finger counting for ordering:
1 = index finger
2 = index finger + middle finger, sometimes thumb + index finger
3 = thumb + index finger + middle finger
4 = every finger except thump
5 = every finger
I live in Germany and until now my ordering counting was understood and caused no misunderstanding. Maybe it was stricter in the past.
For normal counting I start with my thumb and follow the normal counting row.
0:55 we even have a name for that: jemandem den Vogel zeigen - "to show someone the bird".
I guess it means that you have a little bird in your head and you're coo coo crazy - although it can of course refer to a third party, for example if you're telling a story in which you are confronted with some crazy expectations.
Most of them are actually far from being unique to Germany. They are pretty well known in France, at least.
Here in Brazil ok sign is offensive. It’s like showing the middle finger.
Yeah, pointing directly at people may come across as downright rude.
The ok sign in Brazil is the middle finger, fyi
similar hand gestures are also common in Poland 😅
Don't point with your naked finger to clothed persons!
Take that finger out of my face!
That's something you might hear as a reaction to pointing.
Except for showing directions I barely use hand gestures. I'm too lazy for that.
I'm very interested in cultural differences (especially USA-GER) and really thought that these gestures would be valid internationally. There's always something new to learn.
I'd say they are at least valid in many Western and Central European countries.
Hand- and especially arm gestures are historically very important to germans and at the moment they rediscover some of them. Some half of the Germans are now "Wutbürger" ("permanently causeless upset citizens") and they may react very strange to any gesture of you, but thats maybe not because of the gesture. It's because you're not german. So don't mind.
Be careful with irony or sarcasm, even if you use matching gestures. A lot of Germans will take everything seriously so they can meke themselves upset about you. If that happens, just say "Die Ampel ist schuld" and they will be your best friends instantly.
👍
Always best to give directions by pointing a pipe. Unfortunately, I don't smoke.
That’s a good point 😂
The ok sign is simply not okay in Germany, in some areas it is called A..hole.
That weird moment when you say it's ok and you end up with a beer
pulling down the eye, means Holzauge sei Wachsam, dont try to scam me!
As a German from Munich it's the first time e I heard here the ok sign is something weird?
I just thought it must be a southern German thing as I am definitely a "Nordlich" and never encountered it either... :)))
Dan!!
Pressing thumbs is not really often used, the ok-gesture is PERFECTLY fine, even a bit posh. And the counting got explained several times in the comments. It is NOT anymore unusual to make the victory sign for "2". So, to sum it up- this video was not sooo helpful... ;)
Noone does that eye pulling. Who don't get my sarcasm isn't worth getting a hint
I'm german and actually don't know which bad meaning is supposed to be associated with the OK sign. It's true that I mainly use thumbs up but would interpret the 👌 as nothing different (or perhaps as "perfect", depending on the context)
I once learnt that in some regions it means... a... hole. However, I never encountered this myself. As I am Norther German and predominantly have lived in the North and West, this might be a Southern German thing? - I seriously have no idea.
@@marge2548 I'm from the south..
Maybe the bad meaning of this sign only is common in a single specific Bundesland? (or parts of one)
@@musikrausch2675 Yep, maybe. Or in a certain context. I take it this meaning is also established in Italy and Spain. So maybe in Jobs which traditionally had a great deal of foreign workers (who in the early 1960ies would be from Italy and later also from Spain, Portugal…), as in construction or mining, this meaning was established by those immigrant workers?
@@marge2548nope, it's not generically from the South (I'm from BaWü and it means great or very well done to me)