Gestures are another form of communication. As Spanish varies among countries, gestures are also different. Today we are going to explore some examples of gestures used in Mexico with the help of our friends Jeff and Omar from the ZMG4U YouTube Channel.
The next video includes six gestures used in Mexico. Jeff and Omar will explain them, and at the end I will try to mimic each one. Don’t miss that part!
6 Common Mexican Gestures
Mexican Gesture #1: Thank You!
Raise your arm with your palm facing your face to say “Thank you!” You can use this gesture, for example, when you want to thank a driver who gave you the right to pass and you know that it will be difficult for him to hear you.
Mexican Gesture #2: Point at things
Use your eyes and eyebrows to point at things.
Mexican Gesture #3: Stingy
While the gesture of tapping the palm of one hand with the opposite elbow is pretty common throughout the Spanish-speaking world, the word used in Mexico was completely new for me. In Mexico, the stingy gesture means codo (Spanish for elbow). The colloquial Spanish word codo with the meaning of “stingy” is also used throughout Central America.
Mexican Gesture #4: A lot
Form a cone with your hand by joining all of your fingers and then shaking it. This gesture means that there is “a lot” of something. You can use one or two hands.
Mexican Gesture #5: Afraid or Scared
A similar gesture to #4, but opening and closing your fingers while you pull down your hand means “afraid” or “scared.”
Mexican Gesture #6: Money
I will never have imagined that this was the gesture for money in Mexico. Instead of rubbing your thumb and index finger like we do in the United States and Puerto Rico, in Mexico they do something similar to holding a big coin. The gesture is made by opening your thumb and index finger to form a “C” and facing it forward.
Thank Jeff and Omar for this awesome video. Be sure to follow the ZMG4U YouTube Channel to learn more about Mexican Spanish and check out their first video for Speaking Latino “Everyday Mexican Spanish Phrases” here:
Everyday Mexican Spanish Phrases: VIDEO
Check out our articles about Mexican Spanish expressions.