Is "Banana" offensive?

It's genuinely rude — a 3/5 (Watch your audience) on the Punch-o-Meter. Fine among friends, never at work or with people you've just met.

How do you pronounce "Banana"?

This one's a hand gesture — there's nothing to pronounce. One forearm swung sharply upward while the other hand slaps its crook (bent elbow).

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Portuguese · Hand Gestures · hand gesture

Banana

Up yours! / Screw you!

3/5 Watch your audience

genuinely rude; friends only, never at work

The gesture

"One forearm swung sharply upward while the other hand slaps its crook (bent elbow)"

What your hand is actually doing.

How to use it

The Brazilian "up yours" — bend one arm up at the elbow while the other hand chops down into the crook. "Dar uma banana" is to throw this at someone. It's the Italian gesto dell'ombrello, imported and thoroughly naturalized. Aggressive and unmistakable; you'll see it in traffic and at referees. Don't aim it at anyone you can't outrun.

Heard in the wild

O motorista deu uma banana e acelerou.

The driver flipped him the 'up yours' and sped off.

Where it lands

Brazil (universal).

Quick answers

What does "Banana" mean?: In Portuguese, "Banana" means "Up yours! / Screw you!". Literally it's "One forearm swung sharply upward while the other hand slaps its crook (bent elbow)". The Brazilian "up yours" — bend one arm up at the elbow while the other hand chops down into the crook. "Dar uma banana" is to throw this at someone. It's the Italian gesto dell'ombrello, imported and thoroughly naturalized. Aggressive and unmistakable; you'll see it in traffic and at referees. Don't aim it at anyone you can't outrun.
Is "Banana" offensive?: It's genuinely rude — a 3/5 (Watch your audience) on the Punch-o-Meter. Fine among friends, never at work or with people you've just met.
How do you pronounce "Banana"?: This one's a hand gesture — there's nothing to pronounce. One forearm swung sharply upward while the other hand slaps its crook (bent elbow).

Related in Portuguese

Dedo do meio gesture The finger / flipping someone off O sinal do 'OK' gesture Asshole — a genuine insult in Brazil Chifrinho gesture You're a cuckold / your partner cheats on you Porra! POH-hah Damn! / Fuck! — but mostly used as pure punctuation Caralho! kah-RAH-lyoo Fuck! / Hell! — exclamation and all-purpose intensifier Que porra é essa? keh POH-hah eh EH-sah What the fuck is this? / What the hell is going on?

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Screw you".

how to say "Screw you" →

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