Hey everyone! Dana here and today I'm in Berlin with Elisa from the YouTube channel Die Frickelbude.
And today she's going to help me figure out what some of the German hand gestures mean
and also tell me which ones I'm doing wrong.
Let's start with one that could really cause some misunderstandings. - Okay.
On your channel you make some really cool DIY projects taking things that maybe are
trash or not needed and upcycling them.
So recently you did one with an old shampoo bottle. - Yeah.
And you turned it into something to hang in the shower, yeah? - Yeah.
Super idea, really clever. - Thank you!
So if I did something like that, and I was so proud of my work, coming from the U.S.,
I might go to a friend or something and show it to them and go: eh!
But in German, this means something else, right?
Yeah, this could mean something like you're an idiot.
Yeah, so you're like: look what I did!
So that's one to watch out for. And is it really just like...?
Well, I think we are more like, we would put the finger straight I think.
Straight, okay. - Yeah.
So it could, it could be a misunderstanding, - Okay. - but it not has to be. - Okay.
So it could be right. - Alright.
So, but I should be careful with that. - Yeah. - Okay.
And another hand gesture that I had never seen before until I came to Germany... - Okay.
Am I doing this right? Something like... - Ah, okay!
Am I doing this, or? - It does, it does really mean the same. - Okay. - That's,
that's odd cause, everything means you're an idiot.
So you can either do like, like this.
Yeah but this will, everybody will understand this.
It just means like...
What are you thinking? - Yeah. - Is it in front of the eyes? - Yeah, it's just.
No, in front of the face. - The whole face. - The whole face. - Okay.
And I think it's just like you're driving the car and somebody just does the wrong thing,
I don't know just parking or, and you're like...
Okay. So it just means like, yeah, what did you do? What were you thinking? - Yeah. - Okay.
It's like rolling the eyes. - Ah! Okay. - But you can just see it. - Okay!
Okay, so like... - Yeah. - Yes, I get it! Okay, yeah. That makes sense. - Yeah.
But no, I had never seen that in the U.S. - No? - No.
Americans, we don't do that, right?
Like, what would that mean to an American?
People who have never been to Germany, what would you think that means?
Or from whatever country you're from, what would you think that means if someone did that?
Maybe like there's bugs in my face! - Yeah. - Ugh, there's so many bugs in my face. Get them out.
Oh! That's with the German saying, right, "du spinnst." - Yeah. - Right?
That could go along with it. - Yeah. - That's sort of what it means, right? - Yeah.
Sort of this. I still feel like I'm doing this one wrong.
Is it really just pointing? - I think it's... - It's the whole face. - Yeah.
Like...huh? Huh? Huh? I have to practice that one.
I'm gonna stand in front of the mirror and practice this one.
So. - You just can do this. - Yeah exactly.
Exactly, so Mr. German Man, if you come home and you see me just like...standing in front
of the mirror, I'm practicing my "you're stupid" face.
I don't know if I need to master that one. I should do nicer things.
I've also heard that Germans count differently. - Yeah.
So if you were to count with your fingers.
One, two, three, four, five. How would you do it? - Yeah, I know that.
Cause we do this one, two, three. - Right. - And you do three. - I do one, two, three. - Yeah, yeah.
Okay, so you go with, start with the thumb. - Yeah. - One, two, three. - And then up.
Okay, and I would go one, two, three, four and then comes the thumb, five.
No, we start with the thumb.
If you wanted to say I just want one of something, would you...then you would do this? - Yeah.
You wouldn't say I want one. - No, I no, I don't think so. - No.
I would just, yeah. - Okay. - Yeah.
So if you're counting then it starts like that. - Yeah.
But if you're just saying I want one then it's just the, the pointer finger.
In English we call this the pointer finger. In German, right? Zeigefinger. - It's the same, yeah.
And I guess this isn't really a hand gesture, but it's something you do with your hands.
Like knocking instead of clapping.
Yeah. - You do that, is that...? - We do it only at the university, I think. - Ah, okay.
So if the room is full, then you knock. - Okay. - But, yeah, instead of...
Instead of clapping, you would knock. - Yeah. But not always. - Yeah.
I think it's, yeah, only at the university.
Or if someone enters the room or, yeah, did something good in a meeting or something,
you could also knock.
I've also, I think I've seen, is this right?
Yeah, like, instead of saying "thank you," like if someone brings them something at the
table, maybe like, if a friend goes up and grabs a drink and also grabs one for you and
brings it back, I think sometimes knocking?
I don't do that. - You don't do that. - But maybe... - Okay.
Mr. German Man over there? Have you ever...?
I think I saw one of your colleagues do it, that's where I think I saw it. At the cafeteria.
I thought I saw like knocked.
Back from the camera here...Um, what we do, yeah, university or I would even say if something,
like if you honor someone.
Just not with clapping but in a way.
And it could be if someone brings something you honor them knocking on wood.
Ah, okay. Like not saying thank you but sort of like you're great for doing that. - Yeah.
Yeah, you give them applause, like...this is...I, in my feeling this is even more honorable than...
Yeah - Than clapping. - Yeah. - Okay.
I think only a standing ovation is then... - Yeah. - Any more than that? - Yeah. - Okay.
So the next time - Yeah. - you get a drink, standing ovation. - Standing ovation.
That was so wonderful!
And to wish people good luck in the U.S., we do "cross the fingers."
And in German, it's like, it's pushing the thumbs, right? - Yeah, but that's,
okay that's um, somebody would do it like this because, um - Oh! Okay.
some say that if you do it like that you fall. - Oh! - But it's regional, I think. - Okay.
But, yeah, you do this. We don't - Don't do this. - No.
So if you didn't know English you would not have any idea what I'm doing. - No.
If I come up to you and I'm like...yeah. - No. - No idea.
So either like that. - Yeah. - Or like that is also okay. - Yeah.
And that means good luck.
And if you just went to someone and didn't verbally say good luck, if you just went, like...
Yeah. - You know what that means? - Yeah. - Okay.
Because, I mean, to me that looks like I'm gonna punch you in the face. You know?
Okay, so are there any other hand gestures that you can think of?
I think a lot of the other ones are the same. - Yeah.
Does this also mean, like, yay good job? - Yeah. - Okay.
Thumbs up - Thumbs up, okay. - is always the same, yeah.
Peace sign? - Yeah. - Also peace sign. Anything else I'm missing, Mr. German Man?
No. That's awesome.
So our question for you is: Do you do these hand gestures like how we did them?
Or differently?
And what other hand gestures or body movements have you seen out there around the world?
Please let us know in the comments below.
So, be sure to go over and check out Elisa's channel, Die Frickelbude.
It's really cool. She makes a lot of really awesome DIY projects.
And we also filmed a video together for her channel.
So I will put links to that down below.
Thank you so much for watching.
I really hope that you enjoyed this video.
Until next time, auf Wiedersehen!
So be sure to go over and check out...
One, two, three, so our question...
I always get bloopers out of this one.
Okay, alright, take one. Click.
Okay, alright, take two!