Understanding and Using French Gestures

France, Paris, Marais District, cafe terrace on Rue Vieille du Temple — MAISANT Ludovic/hemis.fr/Getty Images

Updated on January 30, 2019

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.

Top 10 French 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	Coup dans le nez
Répétez	Faire la bise / le bisou	Du fric
Se serrer la main	Faire la moue	Ferme-la !
Silence	Gallic shrug	Il est cinglé
Téléphone	Je le jure	Je m'en fous
Se tourner les pouces	J'en ai ras le bol	Mon œil !
Un, deux, trois	S'en jeter un derrière la cravate	On se tire
	Magnifique	Pied de nez
	Motus et bouche cousue	Que dalle !
	La moue	Quelle barbe !
	Nul	Verre dans le nez
	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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Team, ThoughtCo. "Understanding and Using French Gestures." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/understanding-and-using-french-gestures-4083775. Team, ThoughtCo. (2023, April 5). Understanding and Using French Gestures. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/understanding-and-using-french-gestures-4083775 Team, ThoughtCo. "Understanding and Using French Gestures." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/understanding-and-using-french-gestures-4083775 (accessed June 5, 2023).