The Hand Gestures of Mexico City – A Personal Guide
A small vocabulary that will make you feel a little less foreign
Mexican communication is physical — people speak with their hands as much as their mouths, as is the case in many Latin countries. There is a whole vocabulary of gestures that operate alongside spoken Spanish, sometimes supplementing and occasionally replacing it entirely. Learning to read them will help you pick up more quickly on the unspoken information that’s being conveyed around you.
What follows is a personal guide to the gestures I use or see used most often — with enough context to understand not just what they mean but how they land.
Yes
The index finger raised and bent down several times — a gesture that mimics nodding without involving the head. It means yes, or more precisely, exactly right, used when someone says something you agree with completely. You will see it across a table when a point lands, or from a driver confirming he knows the address.
This one is worth learning to use. It has the advantage of emphasizing your agreement without interrupting the speaker, and can also be used to respond when you’re not able to speak, if you’re tied up on a phone call or mid-bite, for example.
No
The same index finger, wagged from side to side. Unlike the equivalent gesture in some other cultures, it carries no particular accusatory weight here — it is simply no, neutral and clear. You will see it from taxi drivers, from vendors, from anyone who wants to decline or correct without making a thing of it.
In particular, if you drive in the city you’ll want to know this one — it is actually the only gesture that the ubiquitous windshield washers will actually respect.
Thank You
The palm raised to roughly chest height with the back of the hand facing the person you are thanking. It is the gesture a driver makes when you let them merge, or a pedestrian makes when you give them the right of way at a cross walk. Understated and warm — the physical equivalent of a small bow.
If I’m honest, I usually substitute a small wave instead of using this gesture, but it is ubiquitous and you’ll see it everywhere in the city once you start looking.
Huevos
Huevos literally means eggs. In this context it means something closer to balls — used as a general-purpose expletive that can land anywhere from mild frustration to pointed contempt, depending on delivery and context.
I saw a particularly good example of this recently on Reforma: A cyclist was coming the wrong way down the bike path, taking up the full lane. A cyclist traveling the right way had to veer into vehicle traffic to avoid a collision. As he did, he shouted huevos and made the gesture. There was no ambiguity around his feelings on the situation.
This isn’t a gesture I use, nor do I recommend using it as a visitor, but you may encounter it and it is useful to know what you’re looking at.
Lleno — Full or Crowded
All the fingertips brought together into a cone, the hand shaking slightly. It means full, packed, no room — lleno. A friend uses it to describe a bar on a Saturday night. A driver uses it about the metro during rush hour. We all use it to describe the area around the Ángel de la Independencia after Mexico wins a World Cup game.
Money
The index finger and thumb curled toward each other into a loose U shape, sometimes with a slight up-and-down movement. It means a lot of money, or that something is expensive. A vendor might use it when negotiating. A friend uses it to explain why they are not going somewhere.
Check, Please
The hand raised with an invisible pen, making a short writing motion. Universal enough to need little explanation, but worth including because it is so consistently used here and so useful, especially if you’re not confident in your Spanish. Catch a waiter’s eye across a crowded restaurant, make this gesture accompanied with a smile and a nod, and the check will come.
Excitement — Ánimo
A fist drawn sharply in toward the body, or raised in the air. The Mexican equivalent of a pumped fist — used for a goal, a piece of good news, the end of a long week. The energy is warm and communal rather than aggressive. You will see it at football matches, at restaurants when something goes right, on the street when someone is lucky enough to find the perfect parking spot.
Codo — Stingy
One palm or fingers tapping the bent elbow of the opposite arm. Codo literally means elbow in Spanish — the gesture refers to the image of someone so stingy they have worn out the elbows of their sweater rather than buy a new one. It is used behind someone’s back more often than to their face, and it is usually delivered with a degree of theatrical disapproval.
If someone makes this gesture after you have left a poor tip or declined to contribute to something, at least you’ll know what they’re communicating.
A sound rather than a gesture, but worth knowing: you will occasionally hear a car horn tapped in the rhythm of “shave and a haircut.” In other cultural contexts that knock is playful. In Mexico the same rhythm maps onto a phrase considerably stronger than huevos — which is why the drivers on the receiving end of it react the way they do.
Any gestures I’ve missed? Leave a comment — I am certain there are regional and generational variations I have not covered here.
