Natural Language Descriptions for 5 easy ASL signs

Natural language descriptions of 5 common ASL signs
Joshua Johnston
Haptics
11 February, 2008

HELLO

Put the right hand into the shape of a “B”--all four fingers extended and placed together vertically from the palm, with the thumb bent and crossing the palm. Raise the b-hand and put the tip of the forefinger to your right temple. Move the b-hand away from the head to the right with a quick gesture.

(as if waving)

NAME


Put both hands into the sign for the letter “U”--the fore- and middle finger of each hand straight and extended from the palm and touching, the remaining fingers and thumb curled together in front of the palm (like a “2” or “scissors”) with the fingers together). Bring the u-hands in front of the body, fingers pointing parallel to the ground, in the shape of an “X.” Tap the right hand's extended fingers on top of the left hand's extended fingers twice.

(sign your hand on the “X”)

NICE

Put all the fingers (and thumb) together and extended on both hands to form a flat surface. Put the left hand palm up in front of the body and hold it still. Take the right hand and put its palm to the palm of your left hand, then with a smooth motion slide the right hand down the fingers of and off the left hand.

(this sign also means “clean” and “pure”, as if wiping the dirt off one hand with the other)

MEET

Put both hands into the sign for the letter “D”--the forefinger extended vertically with the rest of the fingers and thumb curled in front of the palm. Bring the d-hands together in front of the body, touching the curled fingers together.

(d-hands represent people coming together)

SANDWICH

Put both hands together, palms flat and fingers/thumb extended and together. Bring the tips of the fingers up and touch them to your mouth.

(hands are the bread, and you're eating it)