The OK hand gesture is one of the most common hand gestures. It is done by connecting the thumb and forefinger in to a circle and holding the other fingers straight or relaxed in the air. The most common interpretation of this sign is OK, but there are some countries where it may be an insult or where it will not be understood.
Let’s have a look at different countries and what the OK sign means there:
Australia – Usually means ”zero” rather than OK, not common.
Canada – OK, alright, good. You can use it to signify approval.
China – The OK sign is not used.
France – Zero, null.
Finland – military conscripts use the sign to signal that they have zero days left in the military service on their last day of the national service.
Germany – Job well done or grave insult, depends on region
Greece – OK (rarely used).
Ireland – OK.
Italy – OK.
Japan – The general meaning is money, for young people it means OK.
New Zealand – It’s regarded as a cheesy way of saying OK. Not much used.
Russia – Many people would understand this as OK, but they don’t use this sign.
Spain – OK.
Sweden – OK.
Turkey – Homosexual.
United Kingdom – OK.
Venezuela – Homosexual.
USA – OK, alright, good. You can use it to signify approval.
Please note that meaning of gestures varies among various parts of countries and also among cultural groups and between generations.
