# Countries where nodding up and down means "no" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 10, 2011, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816 "2011-09-10T11:29:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/1 "2011-09-10T11:29:20Z")
I’ve read that Albania, Bulgaria and Iceland are countries where nodding up and down mean “no.” Are there any other countries who follow that custom? ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/2 "2011-09-10T11:32:12Z")
> [@CheeseDonkey](#): > > I’ve read that Albania, Bulgaria and Iceland are countries where nodding up and down mean “no.” Are there any other countries who follow that custom? Iceland? I’ve taken Icelandic lessons from a native speaker for three years, and have visited the island twice, and this is the first I’ve heard that they nod to mean “no”. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/3 "2011-09-10T11:35:09Z")
Greece, or at least Crete. Not really nodding, just moving the head up. ---
**Author:** ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/4 "2011-09-10T11:53:38Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Iceland? I’ve taken Icelandic lessons from a native speaker for three years, and have visited the island twice, and this is the first I’ve heard that they nod to mean “no”. Perhaps my source of information was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/5 "2011-09-10T11:56:17Z")
Turkey. Like Greece, a single nod up and down, often acompanied by a “tsk.” ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/6 "2011-09-10T12:00:29Z")
On the other side, there’s shaking the head to indicate “Yes” When I once went to Bangalore to meet with my offshore team members, I was constantly confused with their “body English” as we spoke. I would ask if they agreed with something or if they understood a particular technology point and they would say “Yes” while rocking their head side to side in a gesture that was not exactly the same as a North American “No” head shake, but close enough to make it disconcerting. It is strange to sense the mixed signals—we consciously know what the speaker means, but the gesture doesn’t fit and the mismatch causes moments of pause. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/7 "2011-09-10T12:33:35Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > they would say “Yes” while rocking their head side to side in a gesture that was not exactly the same as a North American “No” head shake, but close enough to make it disconcerting. Ah, yes, the famous Indian head wobble. It never looked like a “no” to me, but those unfamiliar with it usually have no idea what it means. It doesn’t necessarily mean “yes,” though. It’s a very flexible gesture. Sometimes it means something like “I acknowledge what you’re saying and I’m agreeing in principle, but I have no intention of doing anything about it.” ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/8 "2011-09-10T12:35:06Z")
And Greece takes it a step further, by making sure their word for “yes” sounds like “no”, and the word for “no” sounds like “OK”. Talk about confusing for English speakers! ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/9 "2011-09-10T12:40:53Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Sometimes it means something like “I acknowledge what you’re saying and I’m agreeing in principle, but I have no intention of doing anything about it.” 🙂 And it may very well have meant that. As far as I can tell, they did what we asked. I was quite happy with my work with that team—in speaking with many colleagues who engage offshore staff, my case was the exception rather than the rule. ---
**Author:** ![isaiahrobinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/10 "2011-09-10T12:43:22Z")
I get the impression that there aren’t any countries that seem to truly “shake their heads” to mean yes, or “nod” to mean no, at least in the way we think about those gestures. Indians sometimes wobble their heads to mean yes, but it’s not really that similar to shaking your head in the West. Similarly some countries lift their head to mean no, but it’s not really “nodding” - it’s more like sharply lifting your chin. Even over here it wouldn’t be hard to work out exactly what it means. Italians basically use the same gesture but they flick the underside of their chins at the same time to emphasize it. I remember Desmond Morris’s book “Bodywatching” contended that human gestures like nodding/shaking to affirm or reject something all derive from gestures we naturally adopt as children - when a baby wants to refuse food, it tries to move its face away, resulting in it “shaking its head” or lifting its chin away. Similarly when a baby wants food it moves its mouth towards the food or its mother, resulting in a “nodding” motion. That instinctual basis - the book argued - is why the body gestures for yes/no are so broadly uniform across the world. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/11 "2011-09-10T14:38:57Z")
I’ve had Chinese students that will nod and say “Yes”, and there was one I met with after class and went over Photoshop lessons step-by-step … and then I’ve asked a classmate of hers if she understood. “Oh, no. She has no idea what you’re talking about.” The nodding and agreements just meant “I can hear your words” and “I’m making you feel better about being a teacher!” ---
**Author:** ![Shin\_Ji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Shin\_Ji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shin_Ji)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/12 "2011-09-10T18:54:38Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I’ve had Chinese students that will nod and say “Yes”, and there was one I met with after class and went over Photoshop lessons step-by-step … and then I’ve asked a classmate of hers if she understood. “Oh, no. She has no idea what you’re talking about.” > > The nodding and agreements just meant “I can hear your words” and “I’m making you feel better about being a teacher!” Thai people also do this. Smiling and nodding to mean anything up to and including “I will kill you in your sleep.” Takes some getting used to. ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/13 "2011-09-11T01:59:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Ah, yes, the famous Indian head wobble For those who can’t quite visualize: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRwzcnOdNFc](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRwzcnOdNFc) ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/14 "2011-09-11T02:16:58Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I’ve had Chinese students that will nod and say “Yes”, and there was one I met with after class and went over Photoshop lessons step-by-step … and then I’ve asked a classmate of hers if she understood. “Oh, no. She has no idea what you’re talking about.” > > The nodding and agreements just meant “I can hear your words” and “I’m making you feel better about being a teacher!” As my father has become more deaf, he’s become more inclined to simply smile and nod at anyone talking to him. I think that he intends to convey sociability, he enjoys the company even if he’s not understanding a word that’s being said to him. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/15 "2011-09-11T02:23:15Z")
> [@isaiahrobinson](#): > > I remember Desmond Morris’s book “Bodywatching” contended that human gestures like nodding/shaking to affirm or reject something all derive from gestures we naturally adopt as children - when a baby wants to refuse food, it tries to move its face away, resulting in it “shaking its head” or lifting its chin away. Similarly when a baby wants food it moves its mouth towards the food or its mother, resulting in a “nodding” motion. That instinctual basis - the book argued - is why the body gestures for yes/no are so broadly uniform across the world. Desmond Morris made up a whole lot of shit, you bet. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/16 "2011-09-11T02:34:31Z")
> [@CheeseDonkey](#): > > Perhaps my source of information was wrong. What is your source? ---
**Author:** ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/17 "2011-09-11T13:19:34Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > What is your source? Sheesh, I don’t recall. I read it in one of those trivia books a decade ago or so. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/18 "2011-09-11T14:19:46Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I’ve had Chinese students that will nod and say “Yes”, and there was one I met with after class and went over Photoshop lessons step-by-step … and then I’ve asked a classmate of hers if she understood. “Oh, no. She has no idea what you’re talking about.” > > The nodding and agreements just meant “I can hear your words” and “I’m making you feel better about being a teacher!” One of the first things I was taught when I became a teacher in Japan is that there is no point to asking “Do you understand?” as most students will say “Yes” regardless of whether they do or not. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/19 "2011-09-11T14:19:53Z")
> [@Shin\_Ji](#): > > Thai people also do this. Smiling and nodding to mean anything up to and including “I will kill you in your sleep.” Takes some getting used to. This is the Asian [“face”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_%28sociological_concept%29) thing. They don’t want to be disagreeable or admit they do not understand. In order to avoid miscommunication, ask questions which cannot be answered by a simple “yes” or “no”. I’ve heard that in Japan, “that would be difficult” means “it will never happen”. ---
**Author:** ![isaiahrobinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-where-nodding-up-and-down-means-no/595816/20 "2011-09-11T18:37:55Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Desmond Morris made up a whole lot of shit, you bet. Well sure, it’s not like it would be easy to prove that one way or the other anyway. But it is unusual that the nodding/shaking gestures are so broadly uniform across the world, and that’s the only good theory I’ve ever heard to explain why.