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Turkish · Hand Gestures · hand gesture

'OK' işareti (dikkat!)

In some contexts an accusation/insult implying a man is gay — not a safe 'OK'

3/5 Watch your audience

genuinely rude; friends only, never at work

The gesture

"Thumb and index finger joined in a ring, other fingers up — the Western 'OK' sign"

What your hand is actually doing.

How to use it

The traveler's trap: the friendly Western "OK" ring can, in Turkey, be read as an insult implying a man is homosexual — historically an obscene, degrading gesture. It won't always land that way among younger, globalized Turks who use it as plain "OK," but the older/rougher reading is real enough that you should not flash it casually at strangers, and definitely not aggressively. Use a thumbs-up ("başparmak") for approval and sidestep the ambiguity entirely.

Heard in the wild

Turist 'OK' yaptı, adam yanlış anladı.

The tourist flashed 'OK' and the guy took it the wrong way.

Where it lands

Turkey-wide; generational split

Quick answers

What does "'OK' işareti (dikkat!)" mean?
In Turkish, "'OK' işareti (dikkat!)" means "In some contexts an accusation/insult implying a man is gay — not a safe 'OK'". Literally it's "Thumb and index finger joined in a ring, other fingers up — the Western 'OK' sign". The traveler's trap: the friendly Western "OK" ring can, in Turkey, be read as an insult implying a man is homosexual — historically an obscene, degrading gesture. It won't always land that way among younger, globalized Turks who use it as plain "OK," but the older/rougher reading is real enough that you should not flash it casually at strangers, and definitely not aggressively. Use a thumbs-up ("başparmak") for approval and sidestep the ambiguity entirely.
Is "'OK' işareti (dikkat!)" 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 "'OK' işareti (dikkat!)"?
This one's a hand gesture — there's nothing to pronounce. Thumb and index finger joined in a ring, other fingers up — the Western 'OK' sign.

Related in Turkish

Nah! (yumruk-baş parmak) gesture Up yours! / You'll get NOTHING! / Not a chance in hell Orta parmak gesture Fuck you (the finger) Kafayı geriye atma ('cık') gesture No. (a silent, complete 'no') Lan LAHN Man / dude / hey — a rough vocative that dials the whole sentence up or down Hadi be! hah-DEE BEH Get outta here! / No way! / Yeah right! Ayıp! ah-YUHP Shame on you! / That's not on!

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