The Shaka Hand Sign: Meaning, History, & How to Do It

Download Article

Slang expert Tobi Nwodo explains how to do the shaka hand sign

Co-authored by Maryana Lucia Vestic, MFA, M.Phil.

Last Updated: January 15, 2026 Fact Checked

Download Article

• What is the shaka hand sign?
|
• Origin & Evolution
|
• How to Do It
|
• Other Hand Gestures
|
• Video

|Show more |Show less

The shaka hand sign is one of the most well-known gestures around—it’s popular in Hawaii (where it originated), among surfers, and with anyone who wants to say “hang loose” or “it’s all good.” Keep reading to find out more about what the shaka hand sign means, where it started, and how it got so popular. We’ll also show you how to do the shaka hand sign and include some variations you can try, along with other common hand signs.

The Shaka Hand Sign Explained

Slang expert Tobi Nwodo says the shaka hand sign is where you extend your pinky and thumb, whilst keeping the other three fingers curled. It’s a popular Hawaiian gesture with meanings that vary from “hang loose,” “all good,” and “what’s up” to “right on,” “Aloha,” or “how’s the surf”?

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

What is the shaka hand sign?

Download Article

1. 
   The shaka hand sign is a hand gesture with the thumb and pinky extended. It’s made by extending the thumb and pinky finger while curling the 3 three middle fingers into the palm. The shaka hand sign is generally used to convey "hang loose," "all good,” or "what's up,” and it’s popular with surfers, divers, travelers, athletes, and pop culture enthusiasts. According to Nwodo, “it originates from Hawaii,” where it’s often used in the greeting “aloha.”

   • The shaka hand sign is typically used as a salutation or a pose in photos, continues Nwodo.
   • It’s also commonly used as a casual, friendly way to say “hello” or “goodbye.” You can also perform a shaka gesture when saying “thank you” or expressing appreciation or respect for someone else.
   • The word shaka (SHAH-kah) doesn’t translate to anything specific in Hawaiian. It’s linked to David "Lippy" Espinda, a Hawaiian car salesman who used the Hawaiian Pidgin catchphrase "Shaka, brah!" in 1960s TV ads.
   • Hawaiian Pidgin is an English-based creole language that blends words using English, Hawaiian, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Filipino, and other languages.
Advertisement

Section 2 of 4:

Origin & Evolution of the Shaka Hand Sign

Download Article

1. 1
   It dates back to a Hawaiian fisherman from Laie named Hamana Kalili. While working at the Kahuku Sugar Cane Mill in the early 1900s, he tragically lost his middle 3 fingers in a milling accident. While a guard at the sugar cane railroad, he would extend his thumb and pinky fingers to signal “all clear” to the train. Before too long, local kids who hopped the train started imitating Kalili’s gesture.

   • Kalili also used to dress up as King Kamehameha to welcome islanders to hukilau feasts through the church.
   • The Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii, features a bronze statue of Kalili with his right arm extended into a shaka hand sign.
2. 2
   The shaka sign became famous because of 1960s surfing culture. When the surfing craze hit California and the Americas in the 1960s, surfers from Hawaii, including Duke Kahanamoku, helped spread it as a symbol of surf culture by doing the shaka gesture to acknowledge and salute fellow surfers. They also began using the shaka to express things like “nice wave,” “how's the surf?” or say “right on, dude.” It soon became a visual symbol for anyone who wants to celebrate a relaxing, laid-back lifestyle, not just surfers.

   • At the 2009 and 2013 inauguration parades, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama both gave the shaka sign to honor Obama’s Hawaiian roots.
   • It’s popular with Brazilian soccer players like Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona) and as a symbol of camaraderie in Jiu-Jitsu and other martial arts.
   • The shaka sign is known as “Repping the Y” for Brigham Young University football coaches and fans.
3. 3
   It has become a beloved Hawaiian custom. The shaka hand sign is not only a symbol of friendship, peace, and overall positive vibes associated with surf culture, but is also used regularly in everyday Hawaiian life as a greeting, goodbye, or expression of goodwill; it’s even considered a way to respond to “Aloha.” Its spiritual meanings are associated with the Hawaiian aloha spirit, as well as love, respect, compassion, and interconnectedness. Considered a type of Hawaiian slang, the shaka is seen as a positive gesture, and one that is not offensive in any way.

   • The shaka hand sign became the official Hawaiian state hand gesture in 2024.
   • Since the 1970s, local TV news station KHON-TV has ended the evening newscast with clips of people flashing shakas.
   • Certain city buses in Honolulu have a digital light that displays the shaka sign that bus drivers can turn on to thank other motorists for letting them merge.
   • Among hand emojis, it appears as the 🤙 emoji, sometimes referred to as the “hang loose” or “call me” emoji.
Advertisement

Section 3 of 4:

How to Do the Shaka Hand Sign

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Make a fist while extending your thumb and pinky finger. Once you make a fist with your palm facing in, spread or extend your pinky and thumb fingers while folding your middle fingers down against your palm. Keep the other (index, middle, and ring) fingers curled down as you hold the gesture. It’s optional to shake it or twist your shaka (especially in Honolulu) by gently waving or rotating your wrist for emphasis, although some Hawaiians say it’s incorrect to shake the shaka.

   • The act of performing the hand sign is commonly referred to as “throwing a shaka.”
2. 
   2
   There are also a number of variations you can try. The most common shakas are the local shaka, the tourist/wag shaka, the baby shaka, or the double shaka, in addition to shakas that face out vs. in. Some people like to keep their shaka “loose” by opening their hand more, while others prefer a “tight” shaka, where their hand is more rigid. No matter what kind of shaka you throw, you're doing your part to spread the “aloha” spirit. Here are more details on the variations:

   • Local shaka: The loose, relaxed shaka with a slight bend in the thumb and pinky.
   • Tourist/wag shaka: The local shaka with a shake.
   • Palm Out vs. Palm In: While facing the palm in is more common, facing the palm out can be seen as a sign of respect.
   • Baby shaka: A more subtle variation of the local shaka, where the hand is kept tight.
   • Double shaka: With your left hand facing you and the right facing away, grip the right thumb by folding down the left hand’s fingers. While also folding down the 3 right middle fingers, extend your left thumb and right pinky out simultaneously.
Advertisement

Section 4 of 4:

Other Common Hand Gestures

Download Article

1. 
   The shaka gesture resembles some other well-known hand signs. The “call me” hand sign is very similar, but is usually done with the elbow out to mimic holding a phone. Signs like “devil horns” or “I love you” both extend the index finger, while the gesture for the Chinese number 6 六 (liù) is nearly identical, and is associated with good fortune. Here is a breakdown of other hand signs:

   • Call Me Gesture (🤙): Similar to the shaka, with an extended elbow.
   • Devil Horns (🤘): The index and pinky fingers are extended.
   • I Love You (ILY) Sign (🤟): The thumb, index, and pinky fingers are extended.
   • Vulcan Salute (🖖): The thumb is extended, while the fingers between the middle and ring fingers are parted.
   • Chinese Number "Six" (6️⃣): Almost identical to the shaka hand sign.

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Video

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!