What is the meaning of the Hawaiian Shaka sign? Anyone who has visited the islands has undoubtedly seen the renowned hand motion, accompanied by the "Shaka" greeting! The recognizable pinky and thumb salute of a shaka sign is the ultimate expression of Aloha and local culture in Hawaii. This page will tell you more about this gesture.

What is the meaning of the Hawaiian Shaka sign?

Hawaiian Shaka sign

"Hang loose," "Right on," "Thank you," "Things are fantastic," "Take it easy" - the shaka sign in Hawaii expresses all of these and more friendly signals. To make the shaka, kamaaina curls their three middle fingers while extending their thumb and baby finger. Turn your hand back and forth swiftly with your knuckles facing outward for emphasis.

The Shaka Sign's Origin

Hawaiian Shaka sign

According to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Hamana Kalili of Laie, HI, was credited with the gesture after losing three middle fingers on his right hand while working at the Kahuku Sugar Mill. Kalili was then assigned to guard the sugar train, and it is reported that his all-clear wave of thumb and pinkie evolved into the shaka when youngsters emulated the gesture.

Another version attributes the shaka's origins to Spanish immigrants who folded their middle fingers and placed their thumbs to their lips as a polite gesture to indicate sharing a drink with the Hawaiian indigenous they met. Another hypothesis attributes the origin to visiting whalers who used a "tails up" shaka to signify a capture.

Shaka and its very positive connotations may simply stem from the popular World War II "V for Victory" hand sign, which was frequently held up and turned swiftly back and forth in Hawaii, so shaka.

The late Lippy Espinda, a used car dealer and comedian from Oahu, has also been mentioned as a possible inventor of the shaka. In the 1960s, Espinda, who frequently appeared as an extra in Hawaii Five-O and The Brady Bunch episodes shot in Hawaii, utilized the name and the sign in his television commercials. Though the allegation that he invented the shaka sign is questionable, he is credited with popularizing it as well as Hawaiian Pidgin.

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Shaka has distinct meanings in different cultures

In California, the shaka sign is known as "hang loose" or "hang ten," both of which are linked with surfer culture.

The shaka sign, often known as the "hang loose" sign (possibly derived from an eponymous clothing company that utilizes the shaka as a trademark), is a typical gesture in coastal Brazil; Ronaldinho usually celebrates scores by giving the audience a double shaka. It is also internationally linked with the Brazilian jiu-jitsu community.

The shaka sign has numerous emoticon representations, including \,,,/, \m/, and \,,,_. The first two were initially used in 2006, with three commas or a lowercase "m" equating to a hand's three middle fingers. The fourth form, which is similar to the first except that it shows the thumb stretched horizontally (as if perpendicular to the wrist), was described in 2016 by Brigham Young University alongside the first form.

The gesture is comparable to the Chinese number motion for "six."

Chinese "six" gesture

As demonstrated below, the gesture can also be used to signal the consumption of a bottled drink, either alcoholic or non-alcoholic, by placing the thumb to the lips and motioning the little finger upward as if tipping up the bottom end of a bottle. A similar meaning can be obtained by pushing the thumb against the tip of the nose and raising the little finger parallel to the bridge of the nose. In Australia, it is known as "schooies" (Australian slang for a schooner).

schooies gesture

The gesture, which mimics the handset of a classic landline telephone, is usually understood to signify "call me," with the thumb held near the ear and the little finger directed at the mouth.

"Call me" gesture

In 2021, it was stated that the gesture was fading among younger Americans, who preferred to place their hand flat against their face, similar to a smartphone.

Raising the thumb to the mouth while pointing the little finger to the air is considered an invitation to smoke marijuana in Australia and Russia, the position simulating the usage of a pipe. Similarly, in New Zealand, this gesture represents smoking a "P" (methamphetamine) pipe, with versions of the shaka sign serving as the Mongrel Mob's recognized gang salute.

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