Japanese · Hand Gestures · hand gesture
小指
koyubi
His/your woman — girlfriend, mistress, or 'the lady'
coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances
The gesture
"raising just the pinky finger, upright"
What your hand is actually doing.
How to use it
A raised pinky silently means "the woman" — a girlfriend or, with a knowing look, a mistress: "kono hito?" (this person?) with a pinky up asks "your lady?" Cheeky and gossipy rather than nuclear, but it can imply an affair, so deploy with care. Its counterpart, the thumb up, means "the man/boss." Note: the pinky also seals the yubikiri pinky-promise — completely different, wholesome meaning.
Heard in the wild
これ?って小指を立てて聞かれた。
They raised a pinky asking if she was 'my lady.'
Where it lands
Nationwide
Quick answers
- What does "小指" mean?
- In Japanese, "小指" means "His/your woman — girlfriend, mistress, or 'the lady'". Literally it's "raising just the pinky finger, upright". A raised pinky silently means "the woman" — a girlfriend or, with a knowing look, a mistress: "kono hito?" (this person?) with a pinky up asks "your lady?" Cheeky and gossipy rather than nuclear, but it can imply an affair, so deploy with care. Its counterpart, the thumb up, means "the man/boss." Note: the pinky also seals the yubikiri pinky-promise — completely different, wholesome meaning.
- Is "小指" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 2/5 (Bar-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances.
- How do you pronounce "小指"?
- This one's a hand gesture — there's nothing to pronounce. raising just the pinky finger, upright.
Related in Japanese
Reviewed by native speakers. Rate it differently? Tell us what we got wrong.