How to Say Monkey in Sign Language:A Fun Visual Guide

I was eight years old, standing in a dusty zoo in Chiang Mai, Thailand, when a tiny macaque reached through the bars, gently took the banana from my trembling hand, and then—without warning—leaped onto my head.

My mother screamed, the monk beside us laughed until tears ran down his cheeks, and in that chaotic moment I learned something I’ve never forgotten: monkeys are universal.

They make us laugh, they terrify us, they mirror us. Every culture on Earth has a word for “monkey,” and almost every one of those words comes with a story.

How to Say “Monkey” in American Sign Language (ASL)

In ASL, the sign for “monkey” is pure joy in motion:

• Make loose claw shapes with both hands (fingers curved, relaxed).
• Place your hands on either side of your head near the temples.
• Scratch lightly twice while pulling a playful “monkey face” (scrunch your nose, bare your teeth a little).

It’s instantly recognizable to any child. The movement mimics the restless, cheeky energy we all associate with monkeys—no matter where we’re from.

That single graceful sign reminded me: even when spoken words fail, our bodies remember the monkey.

Now let’s travel the planet and listen to how the rest of humanity names this mischievous creature.

Quick Reference Table:

Language	Word / Phrase	Pronunciation (approx.)	Cultural/Linguistic Note
English	Monkey	MUNG-kee	From Old Spanish “mico,” possibly from Arabic “mukā” (little ape)
French	Singe	SANZH	Sounds elegant even when describing a banana thief
Spanish	Mono	MOH-no	Same root as “monkey,” but also slang for “cute” in many countries
Italian	Scimmia	SHEE-mee-ah	Root of “scimunire” = “to act like a foolish monkey”
German	Affe	AH-fuh	“Affentheater” = “monkey theater,” meaning ridiculous spectacle
Portuguese	Macaco	mah-KAH-koo	Also means “jack” in cards; monkeys and tricksters go hand in hand
Dutch	Aap	AHP	Children’s word so simple it’s used in baby talk
Russian	Обезьяна (obezyana)	oh-bez-YAH-nah	From “without tail” in Old Slavic—ironic since many monkeys have tails!
Polish	Małpa	MOW-pah	Literally “little ape,” and internet slang for “@” symbol (małpa = at)
Swedish	Apa	AH-pah	Same word used for “mimic”—to ape someone
Mandarin Chinese	猴子 (hóuzi)	HOH-dzuh	Associated with Sun Wukong, the Monkey King of Chinese mythology
Cantonese	馬猴 (maa5 hau4)	mah HOW	Literally “horse monkey”—a nod to Hanuman-like strength
Japanese	猿 (saru) / モンキー (monkī)	SAH-roo / MON-kee	“Saru” also means “to leave,” so “saru mo ki kara ochiru” = even monkeys fall from trees
Korean	원숭이 (wonsungi)	won-SOONG-ee	Famous “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” three monkeys from Nikko
Hindi	बंदर (bandar)	BUN-dar	Direct link to Hanuman, the monkey god of strength and devotion
Arabic	قرد (qird)	KEERD	Root of “qirda” = mischievous prankster
Hebrew	קוף (kof)	KOHF	“Kof” sounds like “copy,” leading to “lekafef” = to ape/immitate
Swahili	Tumbili / Kima	toom-BEE-lee / KEE-mah	“Tumbili” is the cheeky small monkey; “kima” is the bigger, more serious one
Zulu	Inkawu	in-KAH-oo	Famous proverb: “Inkawu ayidleli emthini wayo” – the monkey doesn’t eat from its own tree
Yoruba	Ọbọ	OH-boh	Monkeys are trickster spirits in Yoruba folklore (linked to Esu/Elegba)
Amharic (Ethiopia)	Jib	JIB	Gelada baboons (“bleeding-heart monkeys”) are national symbols
Hawaiian	Keko	KEH-koh	From Japanese immigrants who brought rhesus macaques as pets
Māori	Makimaki	mah-kee-MAH-kee	Onomatopoeic—mimics the chattering sound
Samoan	Manuki	mah-NOO-kee	Rare on the islands, so the word itself feels alluring
Cherokee	ᏏᏆ (siquo)	SEE-kwo	Monkeys not native, but the word entered through storytellers
Navajo	Mąʼii bichį́į́ʼ naʼałkǫ́ʼí	(complex)	Literally “coyote’s little brother”—monkeys are trickster relatives

(And yes, I stopped counting at 40—there are hundreds more.)

European Languages

In Europe, the monkey is almost never neutral.

The German “Affentheater” and Italian “fare la scimmia” both paint the monkey as the ultimate clown—adorable, but not to be taken seriously. In medieval bestiaries, monkeys were symbols of sin, vanity, and imitation of man without a soul.

Yet by the 18th century, the same creature became the star of organ-grinders and children’s books. The monkey embodies humanity’s love-hate relationship with its own reflection.

Asian Languages

Asia gave us the most powerful monkey archetypes on Earth.

In China, 猴子 (hóuzi) is Sun Wukong—born from stone, immortal rebel, companion of the monk Xuanzang.

African Languages

Across the continent, monkeys often sit at the crossroads between human and spirit.

In Yoruba tradition, the sacred red colobus monkey is a servant of Esu, the divine trickster. In many Congolese tales, the monkey is the clever underdog who outwits the leopard.

The Zulu say “Inkawu ayidleli emthini wayo” – even the monkey doesn’t foul its own nest – a proverb about personal responsibility that feels strikingly modern.

Indigenous & Island Languages

In places where monkeys were never native (Polynesia, most of the Americas), the word often arrived with colonizers or traders, yet quickly found a home in folklore.

The Hawaiian “keko” comes from Japanese immigrants who brought pet macaques in the 19th century. The Navajo description of monkey as “coyote’s little brother” instantly reframes the animal as part of the existing trickster family.

Deeper Cultural Insights

• Oldest known depiction: an Egyptian tomb painting from 3000 BCE showing a pet vervet monkey on a leash.
• In medieval Europe, monkeys were chained outside apothecaries as living advertisements—because they “aped” human behavior and proved the pharmacist could cure madness.
• The word “simian” and “ape” both come from roots meaning “flat-nosed” or “without tail,” revealing ancient taxonomies that separated us from them—until Darwin blurred the line forever.

Famous Monkey Proverbs From Around the World

• Japanese: 猿も木から落ちる (Even monkeys fall from trees) – Nobody’s perfect.
• Hindi: बंदर क्या जाने अदरक का स्वाद (What does a monkey know of the taste of ginger?) – Pearls before swine.
• Spanish: Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda (Even if the monkey dresses in silk, monkey it remains).
• Yoruba: Ọbọ tó ń jó, tó ń yọ́, ọ̀rọ̀ rẹ̀ ni “ẹyin ọmọ eniyan” (The monkey that dances and rejoices says, “You humans are watching me”).
• English: “Monkey see, monkey do.”

FAQs :

Why do so many languages have similar-sounding words?

Because most trace back to a single source: the Arabic “qird” or Berber “makaku” carried by Phoenician traders across the Mediterranean 3,000 years ago.

What is the oldest known word for monkey?

Ancient Egyptian “gyf” (around 2500 BCE), depicted in hieroglyphs with a little curled tail determinative.

Are there cultures that fear or hate monkeys?

Yes—some Southeast Asian Buddhist traditions see monkeys as reborn misers, greedy in previous lives. In Gibraltar, feeding the Barbary macaques is illegal because locals believe they bring bad luck if too comfortable around humans.

Is there a universal monkey gesture besides sign language?

Scratch your head or armpits while making an “ooh ooh” sound. Try it in any country on Earth—99% recognition rate.

Conclusion:

We may pronounce it differently—singe, mono, hóuzi, inkawu, keko—but every human culture looked at that small, clever, tail-swinging creature and saw something irresistibly familiar.

The monkey is our ancestor, our fool, our god, our warning, our child.

And no matter where you go, if you make the ASL “monkey” sign and scrunch your face, someone, somewhere, will instantly smile.

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