Korean Job Discussion Forums

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

Need help please.
Please describe the gestures Americans use for saying,
(1) "Hello" and (2) "Goodbye".

My visuals show: "Hello" as an raised hand - palm facing out - and fingers wide apart. Is the hand moving when saying Hello?

Many thanks.
PS: I've already heard all the gesture jokes from my students.

Masta_Don · Joined: 17 Aug 2006 Location: Hyehwa-dong, Seoul

Gonna be different for different people but I don't think many would say 'fingers wide apart'. More like loose.

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

Thanks. What's the gesture for goodbye then?

Hand up, palm facing out, fingers loose ???? (or closed?????), and waving side to side ????

unknown9398 · Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Location: Yeongcheon, S. Korea

Usually, we prefer to hold our hand up with the palm facing inward, the middle finger pointing toward straight up and the remaining fingers held tightly beneath the thumb. Wink

waynehead · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Location: Jongno

I don't know about you guys but I always pull my pants down and moon people when I say goodbye.

Jizzo T. Clown · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Location: at my wit's end

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Hello = hand up, palm out and a slight left-right waggle (waggle is optional)

Goodbye = pretty much the same, but more of a definite waggle. If the person leaving is a small child, they get the fingers bending and waggling up and down.

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

dogshed · Joined: 28 Apr 2006

Remember Herb from WKRP?

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

nobbyken · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Location: Yongin ^^

I find all the children lifting their hands to say hello, just a little bit strange.

A hand wave to get somebodies attention, but if you already have eye contact; then a smile and nod of the head should be OK.

If I walk into school and have 40 students in different groups saying hello, then it is very strange to wave back 40 times.

I normally just acknowledge people using my hand, but keeping my small wave at waste height.

Sure, wave if it's someone you haven't seen in a while.

cubanlord · Joined: 08 Jul 2005 Location: In Japan!

I am sure that if you contact Republican Senator Larry Craig from The United States, he'll be able to help you out with a few hand gestures.

contrarian · Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Location: Nearly in NK

The bird is the word. Also known as the one finger salute.

Darned near got me killed on my only trip to Britain. I was listening to some Ayrab at Hyde Park speakers corner. He said something really stupid and I gave him the bird with "Italian" emphasis. [The entire forearm upraised middle finger extended and smack the crook of your elbow with your other hand.]

Wink

cbclark4 · Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Location: Masan

If close enough a handshake is used for greeting (without the finger wiggle).

If your yelling down the hall or out the bus window the wave is appropriate.

In a mens room the nod and mumble is preffered, the toe tap is not recommended.

MarionG · Joined: 14 Sep 2006

Larry Craig? Hand gestures? I thought it was foot tapping. Oh well.

Strangest thing about that was that somebody's tax dollars are paying a cop to tap back...go figure.