Video:Learn French: 10 Common French Gestures
with Jihad MasmoudiGestures are important to understanding and appreciating a culture. Learn 10 common French gestures use them to add color and a native flair to your communication in this how-to video from About.com.See Transcript
Transcript:Learn French: 10 Common French Gestures
Bonjour I'm Jihad for About.com and today we are talking about 10 very common French gestures. The French are very expressive and learning these gestures will add color to your communication. These and more can be found on our French site.
Common French Gestures
Faire la bise. Always greet friends with a kiss on the cheek. Bonjour Hello, Bonjour Hello.
Bof. The gallic shrug says it all. Où est Jean? Je ne sais pas. Where is Jean? I don't know.
Se serrer la main. Je te présente mon amie Aurélie. May I present my friend Aurélie. Enchanté Enchanted
Counting In French when counting, we start with the thumb. Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six...
Faire la moue. The pout, expressing doubt or distaste is very French. Qu'est-ce que je pense du film? What did I think of the movie?
More Common French Gestures
Barrons-nous. The Familiar French gesture for "let's get out of here!” is used among friends in the right circumstances. Je suis fatigué, barrons-nous d'ici. I'm tired, let's get out of here.
J'ai du nez. This means you are clever.
Quelle bonne idée! What a great idea!
Du fric. Do this to express that something is very pricey. Combien? It's how much?
Verre dans le nez. This says someone has had too much to drink. Je pense que tu as assez bu. I think you drank enough.
Mon œil. You can touch or point to your eye to show that you think someone is pulling your leg. Tu n'as pas attendu trente minutes! You were not waiting thirty minutes!
For more helpful and excellent information on speaking and learning French, check us out at About.com.