There are a few different types of kisses, and most of them are easy to interpret: When someone kisses you on the cheek, it\u2019s a sign of affection; when someone kisses you on the lips, it means they have romantic feelings for you. But what about when someone kisses you on the hand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Historically, the hand kiss is polite gesture. In some cultures, it\u2019s a way to greet people; the same way Europeans greet people by kissing them on both of their cheeks, it\u2019s customary in Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei to greet someone by kissing their hand. If you encounter the hand kiss while you\u2019re traveling abroad, you can likely interpret it as a cultural greeting and nothing more. But if it happens on a date or with a guy you like, the context is completely different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Few gestures are as difficult to read as the hand kiss. Is it romantic? Friendly? Ironic? Are they doing it to be funny, or are they doing it because they like you? Unfortunately, there isn\u2019t one simple answer; it all depends on the context of the hand kiss to know if it\u2019s cute or condescending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cute: When it\u2019s Chivalrous Think about it: The hand kiss usually happens when you greet or say goodbye to someone. Guys do it because they either want you to know that, a) they missed you and were thinking about you, or b) they had a nice time with you, and they\u2019ll continue thinking about you once you part ways. The hand kiss can also be a respectful way of communicating, \u201cI\u2019m interested in you romantically, but I don\u2019t want to push the boundaries until you\u2019re ready.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Condescending: When It\u2019s a Mockery There\u2019s no one set of rules that determine if a hand kiss is cute or condescending. That said, nine times out of 10, if a guy initiates a hand kiss, it\u2019s coming from a chivalrous place. Rather than reading into it too hard, just try to enjoy the moment and bask in the joy of feeling like you\u2019re living in a fairy tale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember: You can initiate a hand kiss, too. The next time you\u2019re flirting and trying to get a guy\u2019s attention, extend your fist, palm-down, and see if he takes your cue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What does it really mean when someone kisses you on the hand? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":19009,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[884,974],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dating-advice","category-flirting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/strong>If a guy you like kisses you on the hand, it\u2019s likely a flirtatious gesture. The hand kiss is seen as a throwback to chivalry; it\u2019s symbolic. So, when guys do it, they\u2019re usually trying to show you that they can be courteous and that they know how to respect a lady.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>No matter how genuine the hand kiss once was, it\u2019s sometimes performed as a parody. Some guys kiss a woman\u2019s hand in faux deference to her as an over-the-top gesture instead of a romantic one. But even then, it\u2019s not necessarily a rude or condescending gesture; a guy is just doing it to get a laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n