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Hi there! I am Studyfin, your ASL tutor. Today we will learn how to sign words for our family!
In American Sign Language, we use our hands to talk. Did you know that the space around your face has special meanings? Signs about men and boys are made near your forehead.
Signs about women and girls are made near your chin. This simple rule makes it very easy to learn family signs! Let us look at how this works with the sign for Father.
To sign Father, open your hand wide with your fingers spread. Touch the thumb of your open hand to your forehead. Tap it gently twice to say Father!
Now let us look at Mother. The hand shape is the same open hand. But since Mother is a female sign, you tap your thumb to your chin twice!
Imagine you want to sign 'Grandfather' and 'Grandmother'. In ASL, 'Grand' means you bounce your hand forward away from your face. How would you do both signs?
- Remember the rule: Grandfather is a male sign, so start at your forehead.
- Open your hand wide and touch your thumb to your forehead, just like the sign for Father.
- Instead of tapping twice, bounce your hand forward in two small jumps to sign Grandfather.
- Now switch to Grandmother. She is a female sign, so start at your chin.
- Touch your thumb to your chin, just like the sign for Mother.
- Bounce your hand forward in two small jumps away from your chin to sign Grandmother!
