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We all use our hands when talking, but Italians take it to a new level. It’s not just a stereotype: hand gestures in Italy serve a real communicative function, adding nuance and even replacing spoken words.
Some say this habit dates back to the Roman Empire, when people had to communicate with non-Latin speakers. Others define hand gestures as part of the Roman art of rhetoric. Nowadays, over 200 Italian hand gestures emphasize essential parts of stories and are used to hold the listener’s attention or to add visual detail without words.
Why hand gestures in Italian is important
To understand the psychology behind it, imagine your Italian friend wants to tell you about a beautiful arcobaleno (rainbow). Describing it with colors in Italian helps you picture it, but it doesn’t convey the emotion they felt. But if they mimic a large arc with their hand and pair it with a facial expression of wonder, suddenly, you’re not just picturing any rainbow. You’re feeling the awe of the moment they experienced.
Several studies show that Italians often use gestures to replace words entirely. That’s why understanding the most common ones is essential to picking up those “hidden” messages. Use the videos and explanations below to help you master the art of speaking like an Italian with your hands.
17 popular Italian hand gestures and their meanings
Let’s go through some hand gestures Italians use daily and discover how they replace Italian words and sentences.
1. What do you want? (and other questions)
The most well-known Italian hand gesture is the pinched fingers, sometimes nicknamed the “purse hand” or simply “the Italian emoji gesture.” Want to give it a try? Bring your fingertips together with your palm facing upward and move your hand up and down. For extra drama, do it with both hands.
Like most Italian gestures, the meaning depends on the context. Most of the time, this iconic gesture means ma che vuoi? (What do you want?). But it can also mean
- Ma che fai? = What are you doing?
- Ma che dici? = What are you saying?
- Quando? = When?
- Dove? = Where?
- Cosa? = What?
Facial expression and the speed of the movement matter too. While this gesture is always a question, it can express irritation, surprise, disbelief, sarcasm, or plain confusion. Faster motions suggest greater agitation or impatience, while slower ones usually indicate confusion or incredulity.
2. In the past/long time ago
Another ubiquitous gesture every Italian does is moving one hand back and forth next to the face, just above the shoulder, as if you were brushing the air backward or patting yourself without touching your shoulder.
This gesture means “a while back,” “a long time ago,” or “back then.” It’s often done while tilting the head in the opposite direction of the hand, and paired with a long, onomatopoeic eeehhh (like the “e” in “get,” stretched out) to emphasize just how far in the past something happened.
3. There’s none left/I don’t have any
If Italians twist or shake their hand with just the thumb and index finger extended in an L shape, they’re telling you: non ne ho più (I don’t have any left) or non ce n’è più (there’s none left).
This gesture is mostly nonverbal. You’ll see it when people are too far away to speak but still want to communicate. For example, someone inside a restaurant might use it to signal that no tables are available to someone outside, or at a party, the host might flash this gesture across the room to say, “We’re out of drinks!”
4. I don’t care
It might seem rude, but Italians have a clear way of showing they don’t care about something by quickly brushing the underside of their chin with the back of their fingers, as if they’re flicking something away.
The meaning is simple: Whatever you’re talking about doesn’t concern them, so they metaphorically “brush it off.”
5. It’s delicious/so good
Here’s one of the fun Italian hand gestures you can safely try while in Italy, without the risk of being misunderstood. Touch your cheek with the tip of your index finger and rotate your wrist repeatedly without moving your hand away. That’s how you say something you’re eating is “very good” in Italian.
This gesture is considered cute and slightly childlike in a sweet sense. If you add an enthusiastic mmmmmh! (a long, satisfied “m” sound), everyone will know the food hit the spot.
6. Chef’s kiss
The chef’s kiss gesture is well known even outside Italy as a theatrical way to say that something (usually food) is excellent.
Traditionally, it’s done by closing your fingers into an “ok” shape (with the index finger and thumb touching), gently kissing the fingertips, and then moving the hand away from your face, opening it like a blooming flower. In Italy, they also do it with all the fingers touching the thumb, making the gesture even more expressive.
7. A lot/spectacular
With so much delicious food, there’s no shortage of Italian gestures to say something is spectacular. Especially in Southern Italy, when Italians move their hand in circular motions in front of them, they mean something is incredible, stunning, or delicious (basically, everything, in the best possible way). They often lean slightly backward, as if overwhelmed by the excellence of what they’re experiencing, whether it’s food, a person, or a situation.
Want to make it even more Italian? Pair the gesture with the Italian slang Mamma mia! (literally: “My mother!” which is like “Oh my goodness!”). Also, the bigger the circles, the greater the compliment! In Italian culture, the intensity of the message is always directly proportional to the theatricality of the gesture.
Cultural tip: This gesture suggests something is troppo (too much) in a positive way, like troppo bello (so beautiful) or troppo buono (so good). However, troppo also means “excessive” in a negative way. How can you tell the difference? Facial expressions are key. In a negative connotation, the face often turns slightly to look away.
8. Let’s go
Sometimes, you want to leave a party quietly with your friend, without anyone noticing. You can do it with a hand gesture! Move your hand laterally, holding your fingers tightly together and flat, with your thumb slightly raised. This silent signal says “let’s go” without saying a word. This is similar to a hand gesture of “that’s enough” in English, so even the meaning is similar.
The traditional way to do it is using both hands. You hold one hand flat to the ground, while the other hand is flat and moves up and taps the palm with the thumb and finger. (See video.) Both versions communicate the same, but the two-handed gesture is less discreet.
9. Go away
To tell an annoying person to “go away,” hold the same hand position as the gesture for “let’s go,” but this time, point your hand toward someone and move it up and down instead of sideways. That’s how you tell them to walk away and leave you alone.
10. Crazy
Have you ever seen footage of the battaglia delle arance (Battle of the Oranges)? It’s one of the wildest Italian festivals during the Carnival of Ivrea, where teams of festival-goers throw thousands of oranges at each other. It’s the kind of event that makes you think: “This is crazy!”
If you want to say that about someone (playfully), the Italian gesture for “crazy” is simple: tap your temple a few times with your index finger.
11. What a stench!
Another gesture with a similar hand position, but a very different meaning, is the one for che puzza (What a stench!).
Keep your fingers close together and flat to the ground. Then wave your hand in front of your nose. The position is similar, but the movement is softer than the previous two gestures, like you’re trying to wave the bad smell away.
12. I don’t know
The gesture of raising both hands with the palms facing upward to say “I don’t know” is shared across many cultures. Italians do it while shrugging their shoulders, and often say boh, the Italian expression for “I don’t know” or “I have no idea.”
13. What are you talking about? (or expressing disbelief)
Several Italian hand gestures express disbelief, but one in particular is almost instinctive. Here’s how to do it: Put your hands together, palm to palm, then separate them slightly, keeping only the fingertips touching. Hold your hands at about diaphragm height, and shake them up and down in a short, repeated motion. Just like that, you’ve communicated disbelief and frustration like a true Italian.
This gesture can be silent, for example, when someone is saying something untrue and you want to express disapproval without making a scene. But it’s also commonly used in arguments with phrases like
- Ma cosa?! = What?!
- Ma cosa dici?! = What are you saying?!
14. So? What are you doing? (or impatience)
Slightly tweak the previous gesture, and you get a completely different message. Keep the hands in the same position but close them with the palms touching. Hold them a bit higher, around chest level, and shake them up and down. Italians use this gesture to speed things up or show growing impatience.
The ideal moment to use it? You have a reservation at one of the best restaurants in Rome, but your kids are still getting dressed. It captures exactly that kind of mounting frustration and goes perfectly with sentences like: Oh, ma allora? (Well, come on already!).
15. Being afraid
Remember the classic Italian “hand purse” gesture from the beginning of the article? If you hold the same position, but open and close your fingers repeatedly instead of moving your hand up and down, you’re playfully signaling fear.
This gesture matches expressions like:
- Che paura! = How scary!
- Paura, eh? = Scared, huh?
16. You’re talking too much
What if you do the same finger-opening movement from above but with the hand placed horizontally and the palm facing down? Well, you are telling someone they are talking too much. It’s a playful gesture, but it still means that person is annoying, so consider the setting before using it.
17. The horns
While there are more than 17 Italian hand gestures to know, we have to include one of the most controversial ones: le corna (the horns). It’s a popular sign, where the hand mimics animal horns, with the index and pinky fingers extended (like the emoji for “you rock”).
However, be careful with it. If done with both hands, fingers pointing down and shaken near the hips, it’s a gesture to ward off bad luck. It’s often paired with the phrase: Facciamo le corna (Let’s make the horns.), a way to say “good luck” in Italian.
But it becomes an insult if done towards someone, with one hand and fingers up, as it implies: “Your partner is cheating on you.”
Frequently asked questions about Italian hand gestures
More than 200 hand gestures are commonly used across Italy, so mastering hand gestures is an essential part of learning how to speak like an Italian!
Why do Italians use so many hand gestures?
Hand gestures developed in Italy to compensate for the lack of a shared spoken language. This started during the Roman Empire, evolved through the formation of Italian vernaculars, and continued well past Italy’s unification in 1861. At that time, only about 2% of the population spoke standard Italian, while the rest communicated in various regional Italian dialects, so creating hand gestures helped people express themselves.
Do Italians use hand gestures in formal settings?
Yes, but with moderation. Due to social etiquette, Italians tend to reduce or control their gestures in formal situations, especially gestures that convey strong emotions or non-verbal messages. Still, some level of mimicry and facial expression is always present. Speech also changes a lot, depending on the situation. So make sure to target formal and informal grammar styles while learning Italian.
Do Italians use the emoji gesture 🤌 all the time?
Not exactly. Many people believe Italians constantly use the so-called “hand purse” or “emoji gesture” in regular conversation, but that’s a myth. This gesture typically signals a question or disbelief, and using it randomly or mockingly can be seen as offensive.
What’s the difference between 🤘 and 🤟?
In English-speaking contexts, the first emoji means “you rock” or “rock on” and the other means “I love you.” These are actually ASL signs. But if you send them to your Italian friends, they could interpret the horned hand as an insult or a scaramantic gesture. Naples also has a popular amulet against the malocchio (evil eye) shaped like this hand gesture.
Getting familiar with the cultural aspects of Italian is just as important to avoid misunderstandings as studying grammar and pronunciation. The key to absorbing it quickly is to stay curious and immerse yourself in a comprehensive learning method. Need help with it? Check out how Rosetta Stone works!
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