Thread: What's the Arabic gesture for "come here"

You know, how we (Americans for my part) would beckon people to come towards us with an upward palm, fingers curling inward (or just the index finger witht he other fingers already curled). My memory says that gesture is rude in other cultures. Couldn't remember if it was rude in the Arab world.

At any rate, I'm looking to find out the Arabic (preferably Egyptian) gesture for "come here" - for beckoning.

in Turkey, we did it palm down and sort of waggled our outstretched fingers. I was told the upward palm, curling fingers was extremely suggestive/dirty. **disclaimer: I'm not Turkish..I just lived there in the late '90s***

In Morocco it is the same movement but the palm faces down.

These are both in Egyptian style dancing:

I've seen it done as both hands do a soft circle and a soft pointing motion down at the floor (like come over to this spot.)

Also, saw it as a fanning motion towards yourself or the space to your side...BUT hands were waaaay away from the body. As to say "come this way," not "come to me."

**Disclaimer** I've seen this in choreographies from dancers I trust. However, if there is anything not culturally correct, please feel free to share that info!

in Japan it's rude to do the palm up version, it's the difference between "Please come here." and "Get over here now!"
i don't know if it's the same in Arabic cultures, or if the Japanese custom might have been the culture you heard it from, but im curious to find out ^_^

From my experience, palm down.

Originally Posted by raqFariha

in Japan it's rude to do the palm up version, it's the difference between "Please come here." and "Get over here now!"
i don't know if it's the same in Arabic cultures, or if the Japanese custom might have been the culture you heard it from, but im curious to find out ^_^

Wow, I never even saw anyone do the palm up version when I lived in Japan; I didn't think that was a recognized gesture. The way they do it with the palm down and the fingers brushing away always looked to me like "go away."..g.:

<sorry, end of threadjack>

Sahra was mentioning this in JTE recently. Our normal palm-up, fingers flicking in gesture is indeed quite rude. Palms down, fingers flick in.

Originally Posted by JeanneLF

Wow, I never even saw anyone do the palm up version when I lived in Japan; I didn't think that was a recognized gesture. The way they do it with the palm down and the fingers brushing away always looked to me like "go away."..g.:

<sorry, end of threadjack>

yheah, i never saw anyone do it there, but my teacher before i left had an American student do it to her and she almost flipped a sh!t on them.
it does look like "sho" if you think about it the way we are used to, but it's like the hip lift and hip drop are the same movement with different emphasis, if you think about the moving in it makes more sense. ^_^

Egyptians, as already mentioned, say "come here" or "come over here" with palm down, fingers flicking in toward the palm. I've noticed that all the other Arabs I've seen do it palm down too. In Egypt, at least, if you do it palm up it is very rude indeed.

Originally Posted by leylalanty

Egyptians, as already mentioned, say "come here" or "come over here" with palm down, fingers flicking in toward the palm. I've noticed that all the other Arabs I've seen do it palm down too. In Egypt, at least, if you do it palm up it is very rude indeed.

i just noticed in Bosnia we do the same thing! although you can use either way

back to topic lol

Palm down and ALSO, in some of the Pacific Islands it is the same. There is a famed incident written about in an article about cultural awareness in which a fight erupted in a bar because someone misinterpreted what we use for "don't worry about it" (palm down, fingers sort of flick in) as "come here", and the misinterpreted person just saw a large Islander man approaching him having just spilt his beer, so assumed it was hittin' time.

I usually just end up screaming "ta333333!!!" to a male waiter if I need something when I'm dining at an Arab restaurant with loud music. The 3 is the particular Arabic letter that's hard for some people to pronounce properly. I think the gesture for to come here is the same...

Hi Mark,

Personally speaking I would not do that in an Arabic restaurant over loud music. I would raise my hand (Like in school with finger up) to be noticed or shout 'Lau Samaht',

'Ta3' is not used in Egypt as they use 'Ta3ala', having said that, it would not use to shout a waiter.

There are so many cultural differences from one place to the next! ..g.:

For reference - I'm looking to incorporate a gesture for "come here" into a song where the lyrics sing "I ask you to come here, but you don't come."

Well if this is the case, you dont have to use an Arabic gesture as such.

You can use movement in your dance which reflects the lyrics, but your own interpretation.. if that makes sense.

A dancer in Cairo may use various methods to convey what the music is saying, there are no set gestures as such.. unlike YMCA of course (which is not Aarbic but universal..)....g.:

Originally Posted by caroline_afifi

Well if this is the case, you dont have to use an Arabic gesture as such.

You can use movement in your dance which reflects the lyrics, but your own interpretation.. if that makes sense.

A dancer in Cairo may use various methods to convey what the music is saying, there are no set gestures as such.. unlike YMCA of course (which is not Aarbic but universal..)....g.:

Wouldn't open arms express that idea without the potential side effect of cultural misunderstanding?

I'm sure I've seen several videos of Dina doing the palms down and fingers moving in and out, movement.
Now I'm curious. When I get home I'm gonna check my favorites on youtube and see.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Wouldn't open arms express that idea without the potential side effect of cultural misunderstanding?

Not sure i understand what you mean? could you expand....g.:

Originally Posted by caroline_afifi

Not sure i understand what you mean? could you expand....g.:

Extending the arms with the palms angled up, often accompanied by a slight tilt of the head, is a universal gesture of begging or beckoning someone, as in, "Come here so I can hug you." This is often the gesture that precedes a mother picking a child up for an embrace, carrying, or nursing, and even primates do it, so it's relatively immune to the cultural subtleties that more detailed hand gestures can have. I think extending the arms for "I ask you to come here..." and letting them drop dejectedly for "...but you don't come." would read clearly to most audiences of any ethnic background.

Originally Posted by caroline_afifi

Hi Mark,

Personally speaking I would not do that in an Arabic restaurant over loud music. I would raise my hand (Like in school with finger up) to be noticed or shout 'Lau Samaht',

'Ta3' is not used in Egypt as they use 'Ta3ala', having said that, it would not use to shout a waiter.

There are so many cultural differences from one place to the next! ..g.:

Ta3 is just the shortened form of "ta3ala". This truncated form is more prevalent in the Levant. And the screaming, hollering and waving has worked for me fine. Usually I'd say "Ta3 bleazzz, mumkin 3teene <insert food here> min fadlak? Merci kteer!"

I know, I sound so Libnani ..g.:

Originally Posted by Mark Balahadia

Ta3 is just the shortened form of "ta3ala". This truncated form is more prevalent in the Levant.

Yes, I know.

And the screaming, hollering and waving has worked for me fine. Usually I'd say "Ta3 bleazzz, mumkin 3teene <insert food here> min fadlak? Merci kteer!"

I would pay for tickets to see this! lol

I know, I sound so Libnani ..g.:

This is what happens when you stay in any place for anytime ..g.:

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Extending the arms with the palms angled up, often accompanied by a slight tilt of the head, is a universal gesture of begging or beckoning someone, as in, "Come here so I can hug you." This is often the gesture that precedes a mother picking a child up for an embrace, carrying, or nursing, and even primates do it, so it's relatively immune to the cultural subtleties that more detailed hand gestures can have. I think extending the arms for "I ask you to come here..." and letting them drop dejectedly for "...but you don't come." would read clearly to most audiences of any ethnic background.

Oh yes.. Alot of body language/gestures are universal. I dont really see many dancers in Egypt use many gestures which only belong to Egypt. There are some crude ones you might see in Egyptian nightclubs but not worth repeating in a performance! lol

Originally Posted by caroline_afifi

Oh yes.. Alot of body language/gestures are universal. I dont really see many dancers in Egypt use many gestures which only belong to Egypt.

Agreed.

Originally Posted by caroline_afifi

There are some crude ones you might see in Egyptian nightclubs but not worth repeating in a performance! lol

..l;,