手振(てぶ)り

Refers specifically to gestures made with the hands, often to emphasize speech or communicate without words. Frequently paired with 身振(みぶ)り (body gesture) in the set phrase 手振(てぶ)り身振(みぶ)り.

Common collocations

• 手振(てぶ)り身振(みぶ)り: gestures and body language
• 手振(てぶ)りを交(まじ)える: to mix in hand gestures
• 大(おお)きな手振(てぶ)り: large/exaggerated gestures
• 手振(てぶ)りで示(しめ)す: to indicate with a hand gesture

Similar words

• 身振(みぶ)り: body gesture (broader — includes movement of the whole body)
• ジェスチャー: gesture (loanword, used broadly in casual speech)
• 合図(あいず): signal (a deliberate, agreed-upon sign rather than spontaneous movement)

Cultural note

Japanese communication tends to use fewer hand gestures than many Western cultures. However, certain gestures are distinctly Japanese, such as waving the hand in front of the face to indicate "no" or pointing to one's own nose to mean "me."