The Secret Hand Fan Language of the Victorian Era

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Communicate like a Victorian noble with these hand fan gestures

Co-authored by Devin McSween

Last Updated: April 30, 2025 Fact Checked

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Hand Fan Movements & Meanings

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Hand Fan Language Origins

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Hand Fan Origins

In the 1700s and 1800s, noblewomen across Europe (particularly Victorian Britain) were believed to speak in a secret language called the language of fans. They moved their elaborate folding hand fans in specific ways to subtly communicate messages like “I love you” and “Follow me.” If you’re curious about this secret language and how to speak it, read on! In this article, we’ll go over the different fan gestures and what they mean and explain the history of the hand fan.

All About Fan Language

The hand fan language is a secret language that started around the 18th and 19th centuries. Noble women displayed their folding hand fans in certain subtle ways to convey messages. For instance, drawing the fan down your cheek meant “I love you” and taping the handle to your lips meant “Kiss me.”

Section 1 of 3:

Hand Fan Language Movements and Meanings

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Pulling across the cheek: “I love you.” Slowly drawing your fan across your cheek while you lock eyes with your significant other or crush is a discreet way to tell them that you love them.^{[1]
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- Variation: Opening the fan and covering the lower half of the face, leaving the eyes exposed.
Another way to coyly tell your lover that they have your heart and that you love them is to place the open fan over your heart.^{[2]
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To ask if someone is interested in you or loves you, simply hold the fan shut in your hands.
If you want your significant other or crush to kiss you, tap the handle of the fan to your lips and briefly hold it there.^{[3]
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If you want to ask someone when you can expect to see them again without prying eyes noticing, hold the fan closed and tap it against your right eye.
If you want to talk to someone privately or simply get away from others, ask your significant other or friend to follow you by holding the fan open in front of your face with your right hand.
If you’re intrigued by someone at a party, hold the fan open in front of your face with your left hand to let them know that you want to get to know them better.
To ask someone to stop and wait for you, hold the fan open in front of your body.
To get someone’s attention and let them know you want to talk to them, close the fan and tap the top of it with your finger.^{[4]
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If you want someone specific to approach you and speak with you, simply hold the fan open in your left hand and look their way.
If you’re having a private conversation with someone and notice that someone else is spying and watching you, let your conversation partner know by twisting and rotating the fan in your left hand while closed.
If you just told someone a secret or you’re worried that they’ll spill it during a conversation, open up your fan and cover your left ear with it to warn them not to say anything.^{[5]
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If you’re saying goodbye to your significant other or crush, open up your fan and hold it behind your head to ask them not to forget you.
Whether you want to accept your significant other’s proposal or simply let them know that marriage is on the table, hold the fan open and then slowly shut it.
To let interested parties know that you’re taken and married, slowly fan yourself with the fan open wide.^{[6]
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To let people know that you’re currently engaged to be married, quickly fan yourself with the fan wide open.
If someone’s interested in you but you want to let them know that someone else has your heart, rotate and twist the fan in your right hand while it’s closed.
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Lowering it: “We will be friends.” To tell someone that you like them and want to be friends, simply lower it from your face and let it hang by your side in your hand.^{[7]
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- In Victorian times, women would also drop their fans to get someone’s attention.
To let someone know that you dislike or despise them, close your fan and draw it through your hand. Hopefully, they’ll get the message and leave you alone.
If someone upset or offended you, open and close your fan several times to let them know that they’re being mean.^{[8]
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When someone is bothering you and you don’t want to speak to them anymore, hold the fan closed and tap it against your left ear.
If someone is acting too eager or ready to do something without really thinking about it, hold your fan open in your right hand to tell them to slow down and think before they act.
If you haven’t seen someone in a while or they’re simply acting different, draw the fan over your forehead while it’s partially open.^{[9]
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To apologize to someone, close your fan and draw it across your eyes. This lets them know that you’re sorry.
To ask someone to forgive you for something you did, keep the fan open and hold it with both of your hands clasped together.^{[10]
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To quickly tell someone “Yes,” close your fan and tap it against your right cheek.^{[11]
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If you need to tell someone “No,” close your fan and tap it against your left cheek.
When you’re ending a conversation with someone or ready to leave the function, hold the fan open with your pinky finger extended (as if you’re waving it) to say “Goodbye.”

Section 2 of 3:

Origins of the Hand Fan Language

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Hand fans gained popularity in Europe in the 16th century. Around the 1500s, hand fans became a staple among women in royal courts across Europe. Fans weren’t just a fashion statement or used to stay cool—they were seen as feminine and flirtatious tools that allowed women to express themselves and communicate. For instance, women used their fans to draw an admirer’s attention, encourage their advances, or playfully tease them.^{[12]
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- While hand fans were only available to the nobility, they communicated status within these upper social circles. How well a woman could wave and brandish her fan, as well as how stylish her fan was, signaled her class and elegance.
- The hand fan started to fall out of popularity in the early 1800s. Fans became easier to produce, allowing middle-class women to take up the trend. Since the fans were no longer a sign of privilege, noble women ditched them.
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The fan language was first recorded in 1827. It’s thought that the “secret” language of the fan was actually an open secret in the 1700s and 1800s, with most people knowing that certain moves meant certain things. However, the first written record of the language was published in 1827 by the Parisian fan maker Duvelleroy. While fans were falling out of favor with the upper class at this time, the publication re-popularized the fans among the nobility.^{[13]
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- In fact, Duvelleroy became the official fan maker for Queen Victoria in England.^{[14]
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- It’s unclear if the language of the fan was actually a real language. Many scholars believe Duvelleroy made up the language for their publication, which was a way for them to make fans exciting again and increase their sales (and it worked!).

Section 3 of 3:

Origins of the Hand Fan

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The hand fan was first created and used in Ancient Egypt. The first hand fans were used about 4,000 years ago in Egypt. Hand fans were primarily used in religious ceremonies and by the nobility, as they were seen as sacred symbols of power. They were also used to stay cool and keep away bugs.^{[15]
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- The first hand fans were rigid and typically circular or oval. They were often adorned with jewels or feathers.
- Hand fans were also widely used by Ancient Greeks, Romans, Persians, and Hebrews.
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The folding fan was invented in Japan and spread to China and India. The first folding hand fans were used in Japan around the 7th century CE, where people from every social class used them to stay cool. Folding fans spread to China and India a few centuries later.^{[16]
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Research source} It wasn’t until the 16th century that Europeans brought the folding fan into the upper levels of European society.^{[17]
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