French Gestures ~ Les gestes français
Understanding and using French gestures
If you've ever been to France or watched French movies, you've undoubtedly seen French people performing some familiar gestures as well as a few unfamiliar ones. While some gestures are vulgar, others are as innocuous as shaking or nodding one's head.
In any case, it is as essential to understand this French "sign language" as
it is any vocabulary. These pages include photos, explanations, and register
ratings for 45 gestures.
| French gestures by lesson | Top 10 French gestures | |
| Lesson 1 (21 gestures) Lesson 2 (14 gestures) Lesson 3 (10 gestures) |
Among the dozens of gestures and facial expressions in these lessons, there are ten that really stand out. |
French gestures by register
(what is register?)
Note that some gestures have different names and are thus listed more than once.
| Normal | Informal | Familiar |
| Use with anyone | Use only with people you tutoie | Use only with close friends |
| A peu près | Alors, là | Aïe, aïe |
| Baiser la main | Au poil | Barrons-nous |
| C'est fini | Bises | Bisque ! |
| Chut | Bof | Camembert |
| J'ai du nez | Bouche cousue | Ça pue |
| On a sommeil | C'est nul | C'est pas donné |
| Parfait | Comme-ci, comme-ça | Clapet |
| Pardon | Délicieux | Du fric |
| Répétez | Faire la bise / le bisou | Ferme-la ! |
| Se serrer la main | Faire la moue | Il est cinglé |
| Silence | Gallic shrug | Je m'en fous |
| Téléphone | Je le jure | Mon oeil ! |
| Se tourner les pouces | J'en ai ras le bol | On se tire |
| Un, deux, trois | S'en jeter un derrière la cravate | Pied de nez |
| Magnifique | Que dalle ! | |
| Motus et bouche cousue | Quelle barbe ! | |
| La moue | Verre dans le nez | |
| Nul | ||
| On boit | ||
| Passer sous le nez | ||
| Poil dans la main | ||
| Qu'est-ce qu'il chante, là ? | Vulgar - Offensive | |
| Ras-le-bol | Use with extreme care | |
| Rien | Le bras d'honneur | |
| Shrug | Cocu | |
| Sous le nez | Va te faire foutre | |
| Victoire | ||
| Zéro |
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