Arabic gestures

“laa” “No” How to do it: lift the head up, rolling the eyes upwards, and make a single clicking sound with the tongue. Illustration: Guardian Photograph: guardian.co.uk “laa’, abadan” “Never” How to do it: hold the right finger up and wag it from side to side. Illustration: Guardian Photograph: other “al-Hamdu li-llaah” “Praise be to God” How to do it: after shaking hands, place right hand across the chest and bow head briefly. This is a sign of respect to someone of high office or an older person, such as your partner’s parents. Illustration: Guardian Photograph: guardian.co.uk “uSbur” “Be patient”/“slow down” How to do it: hold right arm out at about waist height, and with palm uppermost, bunch all the fingertips together and move hand up and down repeatedly. Used in busy traffic by drivers and pedestrians alike. Illustration: Guardian Photograph: other