Body Actions and Gestures in Traditional Chinese

Learn the words people actually say when someone waves, nods, shrugs, or does that “what are you doing?” hand thing.
Traditional Chinese topic: 身體動作與手勢 (Shēntǐ dòngzuò yǔ shǒushì)

Includes pinyin, examples, and tap-to-play audio

Here’s your practical, real-life list of Traditional Chinese body actions and gestures. Every item comes with characters, pinyin (tone marks), a clear meaning, and an example you can steal immediately.

Tap the audio buttons to hear Taiwan Mandarin (zh-TW). Your goal: stop relying on interpretive dance when you run out of words.

Quick Visual Cards

These are the high-utility moves you’ll see daily. Learn these first.

揮手

huīshǒu

to wave

他在車站對我揮手。
Tā zài chēzhàn duì wǒ huīshǒu.
He waved to me at the station.

點頭

diǎntóu

to nod

你點頭表示同意。
Nǐ diǎntóu biǎoshì tóngyì.
You nod to show you agree.

搖頭

yáotóu

to shake your head

她一直搖頭，說不行。
Tā yìzhí yáotóu, shuō bùxíng.
She kept shaking her head, saying “no.”

指著

zhǐzhe

to point at

別用手指著人。
Bié yòng shǒu zhǐzhe rén.
Don’t point at people.

鼓掌

gǔzhǎng

to applaud

大家都為他鼓掌。
Dàjiā dōu wèi tā gǔzhǎng.
Everyone applauded for him.

擁抱

yǒngbào

to hug

她給我一個擁抱。
Tā gěi wǒ yí ge yǒngbào.
She gave me a hug.

眨眼

zhǎyǎn

to blink / wink

他對我眨眼，表示沒問題。
Tā duì wǒ zhǎyǎn, biǎoshì méi wèntí.
He winked at me to show it’s fine.

招手

zhāoshǒu

to beckon / wave someone over

老闆招手叫我們進來。
Lǎobǎn zhāoshǒu jiào wǒmen jìnlái.
The boss beckoned us to come in.

Useful Phrases You’ll Actually Say

These are ready-to-use mini lines. Copy-paste them into real life (with your face attached).

揮手打招呼

Huīshǒu dǎ zhāohū

Wave hello / greet with a wave.

招手叫你過來

Zhāoshǒu jiào nǐ guòlái

Beckon you to come over.

點頭表示同意

Diǎntóu biǎoshì tóngyì

Nod to show agreement.

搖頭表示不同意

Yáotóu biǎoshì bù tóngyì

Shake your head to disagree.

伸出手握手

Shēnchū shǒu wòshǒu

Offer a handshake.

攤手表示不知道

Tānshǒu biǎoshì bù zhīdào

Open your hands to say “I don’t know.”

聳肩說「我不知道」

Sǒngjiān shuō “wǒ bù zhīdào”

Shrug and say “I don’t know.”

皺眉問「什麼意思？」

Zhòuméi wèn “shénme yìsi?”

Frown and ask “What does it mean?”

拍拍他的肩安慰他

Pāipai tā de jiān ānwèi tā

Pat his shoulder to comfort him.

退一步讓我過

Tuì yí bù ràng wǒ guò

Step back and let me pass.

靠近一點說話

Kàojìn yìdiǎn shuōhuà

Come a bit closer to talk.

別用手指著人

Bié yòng shǒu zhǐzhe rén

Don’t point at people.

在照片裡比V字手勢

Zài zhàopiàn lǐ bǐ V zì shǒushì

Flash a V sign in photos.

鞠躬道謝

Jūgōng dàoxiè

Bow to say thanks.

別比中指

Bié bǐ zhōngzhǐ

Don’t flip the middle finger. (Yes, it needs saying.)

A small but mighty Chinese detail

指 is “to point.” 指著 adds 著, which often feels like “pointing (at it / ongoing).” That’s why 別指著人 sounds like “don’t keep pointing at people.” Also, 比 in gestures (比V字手勢、比OK手勢、比中指) is basically “to make/show” with your hand—not the math “compare” vibe.

Word Tables

The rest of the useful vocabulary, grouped so your brain doesn’t rage-quit.

Hands & Arms

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
握手	wòshǒu	to shake hands	第一次見面，先握手。Dì yī cì jiànmiàn, xiān wòshǒu.	When meeting for the first time, shake hands first.
豎起大拇指	shùqǐ dà mǔzhǐ	to give a thumbs-up	他豎起大拇指說「很棒」。Tā shùqǐ dà mǔzhǐ shuō “hěn bàng”.	He gave a thumbs-up and said “Great.”
OK手勢	ōu kēi shǒushì	OK hand sign	你比個OK手勢就好。Nǐ bǐ ge ōu kēi shǒushì jiù hǎo.	Just make an OK sign.
V字手勢	vī zì shǒushì	V sign (peace sign)	拍照時她比V字手勢。Pāizhào shí tā bǐ vī zì shǒushì.	She flashed a V sign when taking a photo.
擺手	bǎishǒu	to wave a hand (often “no / no need”)	他擺手表示不用。Tā bǎishǒu biǎoshì búyòng.	He waved his hand to say “no need.”
拍手	pāishǒu	to clap (general)	小朋友拍手很開心。Xiǎopéngyǒu pāishǒu hěn kāixīn.	The kid clapped happily.
擊掌	jīzhǎng	to high-five	我們成功後擊掌慶祝。Wǒmen chénggōng hòu jīzhǎng qìngzhù.	We high-fived to celebrate after succeeding.
拍拍肩膀	pāipai jiānbǎng	to pat someone’s shoulder	老師拍拍我的肩膀。Lǎoshī pāipai wǒ de jiānbǎng.	The teacher patted my shoulder.
拍背	pāi bèi	to pat someone’s back	他咳嗽時，我輕輕拍背。Tā késòu shí, wǒ qīngqīng pāi bèi.	When he coughed, I gently patted his back.
牽手	qiānshǒu	to hold hands	他們在路上牽手走。Tāmen zài lùshàng qiānshǒu zǒu.	They walked holding hands.
摟住	lǒuzhù	to put an arm around / hold close	朋友摟住我拍照。Péngyǒu lǒuzhù wǒ pāizhào.	My friend put an arm around me for a photo.
抱住	bàozhù	to hold / hug tightly	她抱住孩子不放。Tā bàozhù háizi bù fàng.	She held the child and wouldn’t let go.
推開	tuīkāi	to push away / push open	他把門推開了。Tā bǎ mén tuīkāi le.	He pushed the door open.
拉住	lāzhù	to pull / grab and hold	我拉住他，免得他跌倒。Wǒ lāzhù tā, miǎnde tā diēdǎo.	I grabbed him so he wouldn’t fall.
伸出手	shēnchū shǒu	to hold out your hand	他伸出手要我把票給他。Tā shēnchū shǒu yào wǒ bǎ piào gěi tā.	He held out his hand for me to give him the ticket.
勾手指	gōu shǒuzhǐ	to curl a finger (beckon)	她勾手指叫我過去。Tā gōu shǒuzhǐ jiào wǒ guòqù.	She curled her finger to call me over.
握拳	wòquán	to clench your fist	他緊張得一直握拳。Tā jǐnzhāng de yìzhí wòquán.	He was so nervous he kept clenching his fists.
攤手	tānshǒu	to spread your hands (“I don’t know”)	我攤手表示不知道。Wǒ tānshǒu biǎoshì bù zhīdào.	I spread my hands to show I didn’t know.
交叉手指	jiāochā shǒuzhǐ	to cross your fingers	我交叉手指，希望有好消息。Wǒ jiāochā shǒuzhǐ, xīwàng yǒu hǎo xiāoxi.	I crossed my fingers, hoping for good news.
捂嘴	wǔzuǐ	to cover your mouth	她捂嘴偷笑。Tā wǔzuǐ tōuxiào.	She covered her mouth and giggled.
摀耳朵	wū ěrduo	to cover your ears	小孩摀耳朵，不想聽。Xiǎohái wū ěrduo, bù xiǎng tīng.	The kid covered his ears, not wanting to listen.
摸頭	mōtóu	to touch someone’s head	別隨便摸頭，會很失禮。Bié suíbiàn mōtóu, huì hěn shīlǐ.	Don’t randomly touch someone’s head; it’s rude.
搔頭	sātóu	to scratch your head	他一邊搔頭一邊想。Tā yìbiān sātóu yìbiān xiǎng.	He scratched his head while thinking.
指指點點	zhǐzhǐ diǎndiǎn	to point and gossip / nitpick	別在背後指指點點。Bié zài bèihòu zhǐzhǐ diǎndiǎn.	Don’t point and gossip behind people’s backs.

Face & Head Expressions

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
微笑	wēixiào	to smile	她對客人微笑。Tā duì kèrén wēixiào.	She smiled at the guest.
大笑	dàxiào	to laugh loudly	聽到笑話他大笑。Tīngdào xiàohuà tā dàxiào.	He laughed loudly at the joke.
苦笑	kǔxiào	to give an awkward / bitter smile	他只能苦笑。Tā zhǐ néng kǔxiào.	He could only give an awkward smile.
皺眉	zhòuméi	to frown	我一聽就皺眉。Wǒ yì tīng jiù zhòuméi.	I frowned as soon as I heard it.
挑眉	tiāoméi	to raise an eyebrow	她挑眉問我「真的？」Tā tiāoméi wèn wǒ “zhēn de?”	She raised an eyebrow and asked “Really?”
翻白眼	fān báiyǎn	to roll your eyes	他聽完就翻白眼。Tā tīng wán jiù fān báiyǎn.	He rolled his eyes after hearing it.
眯眼	mīyǎn	to squint	太陽太亮，他眯眼看路。Tàiyáng tài liàng, tā mīyǎn kàn lù.	The sun was too bright; he squinted to see the road.
盯著	dīngzhe	to stare at	別一直盯著我看。Bié yìzhí dīngzhe wǒ kàn.	Don’t stare at me nonstop.
使眼色	shǐ yǎnsè	to signal with your eyes	她對我使眼色，要我別說。Tā duì wǒ shǐ yǎnsè, yào wǒ bié shuō.	She signaled me with her eyes not to speak.
嘟嘴	dūzuǐ	to pout	小孩不開心就嘟嘴。Xiǎohái bù kāixīn jiù dūzuǐ.	Kids pout when they’re unhappy.
撇嘴	piězuǐ	to curl your lip (disdain)	他撇嘴表示不屑。Tā piězuǐ biǎoshì bùxiè.	He curled his lip to show disdain.
抿嘴	mǐnzuǐ	to press your lips together	她抿嘴忍住笑。Tā mǐnzuǐ rěnzhù xiào.	She pressed her lips to hold back a laugh.
咬嘴唇	yǎo zuǐchún	to bite your lip	他緊張得咬嘴唇。Tā jǐnzhāng de yǎo zuǐchún.	He was so nervous he bit his lip.
吐舌頭	tǔ shétou	to stick out your tongue	她吐舌頭跟我開玩笑。Tā tǔ shétou gēn wǒ kāi wánxiào.	She stuck out her tongue joking with me.
打哈欠	dǎ hāqian	to yawn	他一直打哈欠，看起來很累。Tā yìzhí dǎ hāqian, kàn qǐlái hěn lèi.	He kept yawning; he looked tired.
嘆氣	tànqì	to sigh	我聽到價格就嘆氣。Wǒ tīngdào jiàgé jiù tànqì.	I sighed when I heard the price.
皺鼻子	zhòu bízi	to wrinkle your nose	他聞到味道就皺鼻子。Tā wéndào wèidào jiù zhòu bízi.	He wrinkled his nose at the smell.
張大嘴	zhāng dà zuǐ	to open your mouth wide	他驚訝得張大嘴。Tā jīngyà de zhāng dà zuǐ.	He opened his mouth in surprise.
咧嘴笑	liězuǐ xiào	to grin	看到狗狗她咧嘴笑。Kàndào gǒugǒu tā liězuǐ xiào.	She grinned when she saw the dog.
撐著下巴	chēngzhe xiàbā	to rest your chin (on your hand)	他撐著下巴發呆。Tā chēngzhe xiàbā fādāi.	He rested his chin and zoned out.
擠眉弄眼	jǐméi nòngyǎn	to make faces / pull silly expressions	別對鏡頭擠眉弄眼。Bié duì jìngtóu jǐméi nòngyǎn.	Don’t make silly faces at the camera.

Posture & Movement

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
起身	qǐshēn	to stand up	我起身去開門。Wǒ qǐshēn qù kāi mén.	I stood up to open the door.
坐下	zuòxià	to sit down	請先坐下。Qǐng xiān zuòxià.	Please sit down first.
站直	zhànzhí	to stand straight	拍照時站直一點。Pāizhào shí zhànzhí yìdiǎn.	Stand a bit straighter for the photo.
蹲下	dūnxià	to squat down	他蹲下綁鞋帶。Tā dūnxià bǎng xiédài.	He squatted down to tie his shoelaces.
跪下	guìxià	to kneel down	他跪下求婚。Tā guìxià qiúhūn.	He knelt down to propose.
轉身	zhuǎnshēn	to turn around	聽到名字他立刻轉身。Tīngdào míngzì tā lìkè zhuǎnshēn.	He turned around immediately when he heard his name.
轉頭	zhuǎn tóu	to turn your head	別一直轉頭看手機。Bié yìzhí zhuǎn tóu kàn shǒujī.	Don’t keep turning your head to look at your phone.
前進	qiánjìn	to move forward	聽到口令就前進。Tīngdào kǒulìng jiù qiánjìn.	Move forward when you hear the command.
後退	hòutuì	to step back	地上滑，小心後退。Dìshàng huá, xiǎoxīn hòutuì.	The floor is slippery—be careful stepping back.
走近	zǒu jìn	to walk closer	你可以走近一點嗎？Nǐ kěyǐ zǒu jìn yìdiǎn ma?	Can you come a bit closer?
走開	zǒu kāi	to move away	我請他走開一點。Wǒ qǐng tā zǒu kāi yìdiǎn.	I asked him to move away a bit.
退一步	tuì yí bù	to step back (one step)	人太多了，先退一步。Rén tài duō le, xiān tuì yí bù.	It’s too crowded—step back first.
讓開	ràngkāi	to move aside	不好意思，請讓開。Bù hǎoyìsi, qǐng ràngkāi.	Excuse me, please move aside.
跺腳	duòjiǎo	to stamp your feet	她氣得跺腳。Tā qì de duòjiǎo.	She stamped her feet in anger.
踮腳	diǎnjiǎo	to stand on tiptoe	他踮腳拿上面的書。Tā diǎnjiǎo ná shàngmiàn de shū.	He stood on tiptoe to reach the book.
彎腰	wānyāo	to bend over	進門要彎腰。Jìn mén yào wānyāo.	You have to bend over to enter.
伸懶腰	shēnlǎnyāo	to stretch (your body)	早上起來我會伸懶腰。Zǎoshang qǐlái wǒ huì shēnlǎnyāo.	I stretch when I get up in the morning.
抱臂	bàobì	to cross your arms	他抱臂站著，看起來很冷。Tā bàobì zhànzhe, kàn qǐlái hěn lěng.	He stood with arms crossed; he looked cold.
叉腰	chāyāo	hands on hips	她叉腰質問我。Tā chāyāo zhìwèn wǒ.	She put her hands on her hips and questioned me.
盤腿	pántuǐ	to sit cross-legged	他盤腿坐在地上。Tā pántuǐ zuò zài dìshàng.	He sat cross-legged on the floor.
聳肩	sǒngjiān	to shrug	他聳肩說他不知道。Tā sǒngjiān shuō tā bù zhīdào.	He shrugged and said he didn’t know.
靠近	kàojìn	to move closer / lean in	太吵了，靠近一點說。Tài chǎo le, kàojìn yìdiǎn shuō.	It’s too noisy—come closer and talk.
躲開	duǒkāi	to dodge / move out of the way	球飛來時他趕快躲開。Qiú fēi lái shí tā gǎnkuài duǒkāi.	When the ball flew over, he quickly dodged.
跳起來	tiào qǐlái	to jump up	聽到結果她跳起來。Tīngdào jiéguǒ tā tiào qǐlái.	She jumped up when she heard the result.
搖擺	yáobǎi	to sway	他跟著音樂左右搖擺。Tā gēnzhe yīnyuè zuǒyòu yáobǎi.	He swayed left and right with the music.

Social & Etiquette Gestures

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
鞠躬	jūgōng	to bow	他鞠躬表示尊重。Tā jūgōng biǎoshì zūnzhòng.	He bowed to show respect.
敬禮	jìnglǐ	to salute	他對長官敬禮。Tā duì zhǎngguān jìnglǐ.	He saluted the officer.
合掌	hézhǎng	palms together (polite / thankful)	他合掌說「謝謝」。Tā hézhǎng shuō “xièxie”.	He put his palms together and said “Thanks.”
雙手合十	shuāngshǒu héshí	hands clasped together (pray / beg / thank)	她雙手合十祈禱。Tā shuāngshǒu héshí qídǎo.	She clasped her hands to pray.
作揖	zuòyī	traditional greeting gesture (hands together, slight bow)	他雙手作揖向大家問好。Tā shuāngshǒu zuòyī xiàng dàjiā wènhǎo.	He greeted everyone with a traditional gesture.
行禮	xínglǐ	to bow respectfully (do a formal greeting)	小孩向老師行禮。Xiǎohái xiàng lǎoshī xínglǐ.	The child bowed respectfully to the teacher.
拜拜	bàibài	bye-bye (often with a wave)	我跟她說拜拜就走了。Wǒ gēn tā shuō bàibài jiù zǒu le.	I said bye-bye and left.
比中指	bǐ zhōngzhǐ	to flip the middle finger	在公共場合別比中指。Zài gōnggòng chǎnghé bié bǐ zhōngzhǐ.	Don’t do that in public.
手勢	shǒushì	gesture (hand sign)	他的手勢很誇張。Tā de shǒushì hěn kuāzhāng.	His gestures are very exaggerated.
打手勢	dǎ shǒushì	to gesture (with your hands)	別一直打手勢打斷我。Bié yìzhí dǎ shǒushì dǎduàn wǒ.	Don’t keep gesturing and interrupting me.
示意	shìyì	to signal / gesture to indicate	他用眼神示意我安靜。Tā yòng yǎnshén shìyì wǒ ānjìng.	He signaled me with his eyes to be quiet.
招呼	zhāohū	to greet / acknowledge	他對鄰居點點頭算是招呼。Tā duì línjū diǎndiǎn tóu suàn shì zhāohū.	He nodded to the neighbor as a greeting.
手語	shǒuyǔ	sign language	她會用手語溝通。Tā huì yòng shǒuyǔ gōutōng.	She can communicate using sign language.
暗示	ànshì	to hint (often with actions)	他用動作暗示我快走。Tā yòng dòngzuò ànshì wǒ kuài zǒu.	He hinted with his movements for me to leave quickly.
拍桌子	pāi zhuōzi	to slap the table (anger / emphasis)	他生氣得拍桌子。Tā shēngqì de pāi zhuōzi.	He was so angry he slapped the table.
鞠躬道歉	jūgōng dàoqiàn	to bow and apologize	她鞠躬道歉，很有誠意。Tā jūgōng dàoqiàn, hěn yǒu chéngyì.	She bowed to apologize; it felt sincere.

Optional Variants (Same Body, Different Vibes)

Main idea	Common options	Quick note
Wave	揮手 huīshǒu 招手 zhāoshǒu 擺手 bǎishǒu	揮手 = wave; 招手 = wave someone over; 擺手 often means “no / no need.”
Hug	擁抱 yǒngbào 抱住 bàozhù 摟住 lǒuzhù	擁抱 = the noun/verb “hug”; 抱住 = hold tight; 摟住 = arm around.
Point	指 zhǐ 指著 zhǐzhe 指給你看 zhǐ gěi nǐ kàn	指 = point; 指著 = pointing at (ongoing); 指給你看 = “I’ll show you (by pointing).”
Clap	拍手 pāishǒu 鼓掌 gǔzhǎng	拍手 = clap; 鼓掌 = applaud (more “congrats / well done”).