# Tongue click for "no"



## Isotta

I have noticed here in France that people here sometimes convey "no" by sort of gently clucking their tongue. No head movement. 

I know someone from Provence who does this, who told me it was a Southern (French) thing. I also know someone from Southern Italy who does this, who told me it is a Southern (Italian) thing. And someone from Madrid who had no idea.

Who exactly does this? 

Z.


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## somody

Je ne l'ai jamais entendu...


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## Gil

Isotta said:
			
		

> Who exactly does this?  And what do you call it in French?
> 
> Z.


I do.
Un clic.


> PHONÉT. Clic. Son claquant réalisé au moyen d'une double occlusion, apicale ou labiale et vélaire, déterminant une cavité où l'air est raréfié par abaissement de la partie médiane ou antérieure de la langue, le relâchement de l'occlusion provoquant un brusque appel d'air vers l'intérieur, accompagné d'un claquement.


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## Nenita84

I confess that I do it too... And I´m not  French but Spanish.

I think that doing this kind of things are more normal in mediterranean countries where people usually develope more the body language and we are noisier too. 

I don´t want to be prejudicious, but for me, for example,  it would be amazing to see a German person doing "clics" instead of saying "nein".

Au revoir!


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## somody

I don't get it...

I sometimes make a clicking noise before a sigh, but that's about it...


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## Agnès E.

Thread moved to the Culture forum at Isotta's request.


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## Vanda

Here in Brazil some of us do that too.
I do, sometimes!


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## timpeac

I've seen French people do that plently of times - as you say normally with a deadpan expression which, although I know it is just a cultural difference, always seems to suggest to me a subtext of "you idiot" 

I was once given quite a believable reason for this tutting - in English you can stress words that you consider to be more important eg

"is this your bag?"
"No, that's not _my_ bag!"

whereas stressing words works in a completely different way in French, so to express this nuance they tut

"ça c'est ton sac? "
"Non! tut tut tut..."

It's important to remember if you come from an anglo-saxon culture where tutting is considered rude that this isn't what is intended - I imagine this is the source of many a cultural misunderstanding.


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## cherine

We use that in Egypt too (another Mediterranean country)


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## Isotta

ok so far we have:
France (all regions of France?)
Southern Italy
Spain
Brazil
Egypt
Quebec

Not: Ontario
England
United States

Tim's post brought up something else--I've never heard anyone click _and_ say "non." I've only ever seen the click-deadpan-expression-pause number.

I am interested to hear more!

Z.


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## timpeac

Oh the "non" _and_ the clicks are optional!!


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## Isotta

Hmm.

I am remembering something else. It seems like in Cambodia a double click was "yes," and there was a specific sort of grunt sound that seemed to be a strong way of saying "no." It was some time ago though. And once I heard that a triple click in Indonesian was "yes," and a single click was "no." Perhaps some of our forer@s from these parts can confirm.

Also, I've noticed the tongue click as a reaction to choices:

Me: Would you like coffee or tea?
Other: _[click]_ Coffee.

Z.


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## geve

at first I didn't understand what noise you were talking about, but thenTimpeac made it clear with writing "tut tut tut" !  

With my personal cultural background, I'd use that noise to say no, but only to express interdiction or disapproval, as in "no, don't !" - and more likely to animals or children (eg., if my cat tried to jump on the table to grab a piece of chicken)...


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## irisheyes0583

I got "tut tut-ed" all the time in Costa Rica. In fact, it was such a common occurrence (ok, not just because my Spanish was bad!  It's just VERY common there!) that I did it for months (unconsciously) after my return. 

Of note: At least in Costa Rica, this sound is often accompanied by a finger-wag (but no deadpan expression).


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## LV4-26

My take on the subject. I'm not from the South of France but I do click my tongue to say 'no', sometimes. I also occasionnally add the 'no'. The following is only my impression.

1. I do that when I mean 'no' but at the same time wondering how to justify this 'no'. It sort of means "no, but wait, I'm going to tell you why in a minute" or just "I'm not sure", "I _feel_ it's wrong".
(like you're too busy thinking to be able to actually utter a real word )

2. We also click our tongues (don't you do the same in anglophone countries?) to express annoyance. (not necessarily directed at the person you're with).
A good example would be when you've already tried ten times to get a thread (?) through the eye of a needle and you've failed once more. It often shortly precedes an outburst of rage.  In that case, it's a louder click.

3. I agree with geve that it can express disapproval or interdiction. But in that case, we're dealing with several clicks (tut tut tut ).

4. It's never intended to be rude. Except in case #2 when a human being is the cause of your annoyance : then it means you're loosing patience. But even then, you're not directly addressing the person, you're sort of thinking aloud. Same meaning as a deep sigh, I would say.


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## timpeac

To my knowledge we only use it to express exasperated annoyance (someone's kids are being noisy in the cinema, a mobile phone goes off during a flight), and very often would be just a single tut - and it would always be interpreted as rude, and would cause a nasty argument if the person being tutted at decided to react (yeah, got a problem mate?)


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## irisheyes0583

To my knowledge, I never "click" my tongue when I'm speaking English. Very infrequently (perhaps 20 times in my life), I have actually say "Tut tut tut" followed by a mock "Shame on you!". But tongue clicking is not something that I do...

When I'm extremely frustrated (i.e. trying to thread a stubbornly small needle hole), I will often let out an "ugh!" of exasperation.


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## ampurdan

I couldn't think which sound you were meaning either... I've got to imagine the ways I might say "no" and then I realised that I do clic and tut to say no. It's not the most polite way to say no. I use it twice when I want to express that my point of view is somewhat better to the person I am talking to, in an endearment way. But I think I use an "ng-ng" (a double nasal and velar sound) more often.

As for LV4-26's example number 2, I use it in the same manner. But sighs and ughs are also welcome.

I deem it bad-educated to use it to express dissatisfaction in view of the actions of a stranger or a person I am not familiar with.


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## Jonegy

I found greeks using the 'tut', often in preference to 'ochi' (no) although I have seen both used together ie; a tut with a slight raising of the head followed by ochi with the lowering of the head. (The slight raising and lowering of the head seemed to be almost compulsory and often used alone without the tut)
This is probably the cause of the story of greeks nodding and shaking their heads contrary to others as 'nai' (yes) I found usually accompanied by a slight sideways movement of the head - much in the way the english give a 'knowing wink'.
Has anyone else noticed it.


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## mamboney

I am surprised that none of you Americans or Brits will own up to "tut-tutting" or clicking you tongues.  It is very common on my planet!

I click my tongue and tilt my head slightly to the left to show many things:
disappointment (also accompanied by a head shake)
annoyance
disapproval
question (why are you doing that?)
"can't you do better?"
"you know better than to do that!"
"stop that now!"

I also do the tongue clicking thing (rapid & many in a row) to call my pets.

Maybe these are regional habits, but I don't think so...

I grew up in the western US & live in the deep south now...
Admittedly I have spent months in the Mezzogiorno, maybe that's where this comes from (I also collected many new hand gestures while there).


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## timpeac

mamboney said:
			
		

> I am surprised that none of you Americans or Brits will own up to "tut-tutting" or clicking you tongues. It is very common on my planet!
> 
> I click my tongue and tilt my head slightly to the left to show many things:
> disappointment (also accompanied by a head shake)
> annoyance
> disapproval
> question (why are you doing that?)
> "can't you do better?"
> "you know better than to do that!"
> "stop that now!"


 
Do you get into lots of fights with strangers?


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## mamboney

timpeac said:
			
		

> Do you get into lots of fights with strangers?


 
Ha!  Yeah, I guess that must sound weird!  I am not psychotic or anything, but in my profession these are normal things to have to say everyday.  Sometimes I feel like I'm dealing with preschoolers instead of adults!

I'm not a mean, crabby person I swear!!


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## Like an Angel

Thanks for your explanation timpeac, I got it now  -well, I think so-

In Argentina is used it to say "no", but depending on the gestures which you accompany it, that _click_ could mean a strong disapproval or a simple _no_. Of course it's very informal, but useful. For instance, when I was a young girl and I didn't want to do my homework I said "_clic_ ¡Ufaaaaa!" then I put my best "angel face" and I mom said "Ok, do it later on then, but do it"...


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## I.C.

I’m German, I do it. A single click or several in quick succession. But mostly to myself and rather involuntarily, usually when I’m working on a problem of low difficulty as fast as possible and am assessing different options of procedure. 
A single click either meaning “no” or sometimes “that’s viable, got it now” (possibly slightly different click, this one), but either way indicating a decision. The succession rather meaning “let me see…”. I know at least one other German who does this, too, but the guy in question is francophile. 

I’ve also used a single click in combination with shaking my head to mean “no”, mostly on the street, sometimes also adding a verbal “no”. Rather frequently, actually, and not necessarily in a brusque manner. 
Think I’ve used single clicks to express appreciation, too.
I believe a click can indicate annoyance (with a slow clerk, say). That _might_ be a more common usage of clicks.


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## gingerale

That is a very common way of saying no in Turkey as well.. but very informal of course, you'd do it only either when you're with friends and family or in traffic or a public place to condemn people!!! Driving is very hard specially in Istanbul, where people don't seem to recognize the rules.


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## zebedee

Not only is the tongue click for 'no' very popular in Spain, but a snake-like "ssss" for 'yes' is also popular - I guess it's an abbreviation for "sí".


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## Godfather

A tongue click for "No." is also common in Switzerland. It's also very informal here, like gingerale explained. But I think if you do it without any movement at all, it might not be noticed or misunderstood. 

But when I think about it now. Some people also do it to express disappointment. Instead of saying "Damn it!" they do this tongue click very loudly.

It sound weird I know.


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## BehindtheDoor

I know that this is a very old thread, but let me say something (is correct this phrase?).

The Herero (despectively called "Bushmen"), Kung! and other peoples of south-west Africa talk in languages entirely made on 'clicks'. Different clicks in different combinations had different meanings. According to language experts this languages are the most primitives in the world. The Herero and related peoples are also well known by their great genetic diversity in comparition with any other human people in the world, a certain evidence that they are the world's eldest population on Earth.

They also use a 'clic' to say 'no', as they use 'clics' for everything. Apparently, those 'clics' evolved in other regions of the world becoming "true" words, but for whatever strange reason one 'clic' survived in many other populations, the 'clic' to say "no". So, in the end, that is the last trace of the form that the grand-grand-grand...-grand-mother of our language could have 50.000 years ago or more, conserved through thousands of years. Amazing, Don't you think?


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## badgrammar

Evet, gingerale....  Turks do it all the time, often accompanied by the famous chin-lift...  seems to mean a number of things from "Bak" (look) to "Hayir" (no), all depends on context...



gingerale said:


> That is a very common way of saying no in Turkey as well.. but very informal of course, you'd do it only either when you're with friends and family or in traffic or a public place to condemn people!!! Driving is very hard specially in Istanbul, where people don't seem to recognize the rules.


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## Qcumber

Clicking and tut-tutting are universal linguistic gestures.


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## panjabigator

We click our tongues too!


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## Lemminkäinen

We don't use tongue clicks here (fascinating though! I've never experienced it myself  ), but we sometimes use a pulmonic ingressive (quickly drawing breath) while saying _ja_ to express affirmity. 
There's been written a doctorate paper on the sound and its use, but unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to read it to let you all know its conclusions


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## Lavinia.dNP

In Sicliy a tongue click while slightly tilting the head backwards is the typical way of saying "no"


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## Elibennet

Incredible! I had never thought of this before! In my country we click your tongue once to show that something goes wrong, generally something unimportant. For instance, there´s something wrong with your computer, or you can´t put the lid of something, we go "tut".
Then, to say NO, we tut twice. To be more emphatic, even more times. For instance:
- Are you coming tomorrow?
-tut tut 
Up to now I had thought this was common to all western countries.


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## natasha2000

Isotta said:


> ok so far we have:
> France (all regions of France?)
> Southern Italy
> Spain
> Brazil
> Egypt
> Quebec
> Serbia
> 
> Not: Ontario
> England
> United States


 
we do it very often. If it is repeated, it means retundant NO, but it also can be only one click and it means "No, but I am too lazy to say the word". Often, parents forbid their children to do this demanding them sayin NO instead, because it is considred rude in certain circumstances.

I would take a wild guess that it is the same in all ex-YU countries, but it's better to leave them to say for themselves. As a matter of fact, I am positive on its use in Montenegro, but for other contries I am not sure.


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## Etcetera

Tongue clicking is rather popular in Russia. But it's mostly used when, foe example, someone's trying to guess something, and their guess is wrong. Then their interlocutor may click their tongue to show that the guess was wrong. 
But if we simply mean "no", we usually just say Нет (net) or shake our head if we don't feel like pronouncing this enormously long word.


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## Outsider

The only times I remember clicking my tongue is to show exhasperation. Maybe I just didn't understand what you guys were talking about.


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