Free, no AI17 terms, 8 phrases
Israeli hand gestures
Israelis talk with a small set of named hand moves. Each entry is the phrase said with the gesture, or the name people give it.
| Hebrew | Reads | What it is | Good to know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מה אתה רוצה | ma ata rotze | bunched fingers pointing up, shaken | The classic Israeli "what do you want / obviously / why." | |
| רגע | rega | flat palm toward the other person | Stop talking for a second; not a threat. | |
| יאללה | yalla | forward wave, let's go | ||
| נו | nu | open hands, impatience | ||
| אין מה לעשות | ein ma la'asot | palms-up shrug | ||
| ככה ככה | kakha kakha | tilting hand, so-so | ||
| על הראש | al ha-rosh | palm on the head | I take full responsibility; it will be done. | |
| לא מעניין | lo me'anyen | flick under the chin | Dismissive "I don't care." | |
| כֶּסֶף | kesef | thumb rubs fingers | ||
| סע | sa | dismissive flick away | Get lost; stronger than "no." | |
| וואלק | wallak | shake the hand as if burned | Unbelievable, painful, or "come on." | |
| חזק | khazak | raised fist, be strong | ||
| על הלב | al ha-lev | palm on the chest | Sincerity, thanks, or "I mean it." | |
| קצת | ktzat | pinch in the air, a tiny bit | ||
| די | dai | chopping hand, enough | ||
| תגיד | tagid | pointing at you while talking | ||
| הצדעה | hatzda'a | loose salute | Can be real respect or sarcasm, depending on the face. |
17 of 17 terms
Hand gestures מחוות
Say it
| מה אתה רוצה | ma ata rotze | What do you want? / Why are you even asking? |
| רגע רגע | rega rega | Hold on, hold on. |
| יאללה בוא | yalla bo | Come on, let's go. |
| נו כבר | nu kvar | Come on already. |
| אין מה לעשות | ein ma la'asot | Nothing to be done. |
| על הראש | al ha-rosh | On my head: I will handle it. |
| ככה ככה | kakha kakha | So-so. |
| וואלק | wallak | Unbelievable. |
Terms
| מה אתה רוצה | ma ata rotze | bunched fingers pointing up, shaken |
| רגע | rega | flat palm toward the other person |
| יאללה | yalla | forward wave, let's go |
| נו | nu | open hands, impatience |
| אין מה לעשות | ein ma la'asot | palms-up shrug |
| ככה ככה | kakha kakha | tilting hand, so-so |
| על הראש | al ha-rosh | palm on the head |
| לא מעניין | lo me'anyen | flick under the chin |
| כסף | kesef | thumb rubs fingers |
| סע | sa | dismissive flick away |
| וואלק | wallak | shake the hand as if burned |
| חזק | khazak | raised fist, be strong |
| על הלב | al ha-lev | palm on the chest |
| קצת | ktzat | pinch in the air, a tiny bit |
| די | dai | chopping hand, enough |
| תגיד | tagid | pointing at you while talking |
| הצדעה | hatzda'a | loose salute |
Say it
מה אתה רוצה
ma ata rotze
What do you want? / Why are you even asking?
רגע רגע
rega rega
Hold on, hold on.
יאללה בוא
yalla bo
Come on, let's go.
נו כבר
nu kvar
Come on already.
אין מה לעשות
ein ma la'asot
Nothing to be done.
על הראש
al ha-rosh
On my head: I will handle it.
ככה ככה
kakha kakha
So-so.
וואלק
wallak
Unbelievable.
Good to know
The bunched fingers are not a threat
מה אתה רוצה is argument, impatience, or "obviously," depending on the eyebrows.
רגע is a pause, not a promise of speed
The palm comes up and the sentence continues two minutes later.
על הראש is a serious offer
You are taking the task; do not say it as a joke unless you know the person.
Match the face to the salute
A loose הצדעה can thank a driver or mock a rule; the mouth tells you which.