ASL vocabulary: 107 essential signs for beginners

Greetings and introductions

Word	How to sign it	Example
hello	Open flat hand near the forehead moves outward and away, like a friendly salute.	HELLO, HOW YOU?Hello, how are you?
goodbye	Open hand waves side to side, or the fingers open and close from a fist as the person leaves.	TIME GO, GOODBYE!It's time to go, goodbye!
please	A flat hand on the chest moves in a small circular motion.	PLEASE HELP ME.Please help me.
thank you	Fingertips touch the chin, then the hand moves forward and down toward the other person.	THANK-YOU FOR HELP.Thank you for helping.
sorry	A closed fist with the thumb out circles on the chest.	SORRY, LATE ME.Sorry, I'm late.
yes	A closed fist nods up and down at the wrist, like a head nodding yes.	YOU FINISH? YES.Are you finished? Yes.
no	The index and middle fingers tap the thumb together, like a small beak closing.	YOU HUNGRY? NO.Are you hungry? No.
name	Index and middle fingers of both hands, in an H shape, tap together twice, one hand crossing over the other.	YOUR NAME WHAT?What is your name?
nice	One flat hand slides smoothly across the palm of the other, from fingertips to wrist.	NICE MEET-YOU.Nice to meet you.
meet	Both index fingers point up, start apart, then come together in the middle.	WE MEET TOMORROW.We will meet tomorrow.
welcome	One open hand sweeps from the side toward the body, inviting the other person in.	WELCOME MY HOME.Welcome to my home.

Family

Word	How to sign it	Example
mother	An open hand with fingers spread taps the thumb against the chin.	MY MOTHER TEACHER.My mother is a teacher.
father	An open hand with fingers spread taps the thumb against the forehead.	FATHER WORK TODAY.Father is working today.
sister	The 'girl' handshape sliding along the jaw is followed by both index fingers coming together and moving down, showing 'same'.	MY SISTER YOUNG.My sister is young.
brother	The 'boy' handshape tapping the forehead is followed by both index fingers coming together and moving down, showing 'same'.	BROTHER LIVE THERE.My brother lives there.
family	Both hands form F handshapes and trace a circle outward until the pinky fingers meet, showing a group.	MY FAMILY BIG.My family is big.
baby	Both arms cross and rock gently from side to side, as if cradling an infant.	BABY SLEEP NOW.The baby is sleeping now.
grandmother	The sign for mother is made, then the hand bounces forward once, showing a generation further back.	GRANDMOTHER VISIT US.Grandmother is visiting us.
grandfather	The sign for father is made, then the hand bounces forward once, showing a generation further back.	GRANDFATHER OLD, WISE.Grandfather is old and wise.
friend	Two hooked index fingers link together, then reverse and link again the other way.	SHE MY FRIEND.She is my friend.
son	The sign for 'boy', tapping the forehead, moves down into the sign for 'baby', cradling the arms.	MY SON SCHOOL.My son is at school.
daughter	The sign for 'girl', sliding along the jaw, moves down into the sign for 'baby', cradling the arms.	MY DAUGHTER SMART.My daughter is smart.

Numbers

Word	How to sign it	Example
one	The index finger points straight up, palm facing outward.	I HAVE ONE DOG.I have one dog.
two	The index and middle fingers point up in a V shape.	TWO CUP COFFEE.Two cups of coffee.
three	The thumb, index, and middle fingers extend upward together.	THREE BOOK TABLE.There are three books on the table.
four	Four fingers extend upward together while the thumb tucks into the palm.	FOUR PEOPLE HERE.Four people are here.
five	All five fingers spread open with the palm facing out.	FIVE DOLLAR COST.It costs five dollars.
six	The thumb touches the pinky finger while the other three fingers stay extended.	CLASS SIX WEEK.The class is six weeks long.
seven	The thumb touches the ring finger while the other three fingers stay extended.	SEVEN DAY WEEK.There are seven days in a week.
eight	The thumb touches the middle finger while the other three fingers stay extended.	MEETING EIGHT O'CLOCK.The meeting is at eight o'clock.
nine	The thumb touches the index finger while the other three fingers stay extended.	NINE STUDENT CLASS.There are nine students in the class.
ten	A closed fist with the thumb up shakes slightly side to side.	WAIT TEN MINUTE.Wait ten minutes.
how many	Both hands start as fists, then flick open into curved claw shapes.	HOW-MANY PEOPLE COME?How many people are coming?

Colors

Word	How to sign it	Example
red	The index finger brushes down across the lips once.	MY CAR RED.My car is red.
blue	A B handshape twists slightly back and forth at the wrist.	SKY BLUE TODAY.The sky is blue today.
green	A G handshape twists slightly back and forth at the wrist.	GRASS GREEN.The grass is green.
yellow	A Y handshape twists slightly back and forth at the wrist.	SUN YELLOW.The sun looks yellow.
black	The index finger draws a straight line across the forehead above the eyebrows.	HER SHOES BLACK.Her shoes are black.
white	Fingertips touch the chest, then pull away and close into a point.	SNOW WHITE.The snow is white.
purple	A P handshape twists slightly back and forth at the wrist.	FLOWER PURPLE PRETTY.The purple flower is pretty.
orange	A closed fist near the chin opens and closes once, like squeezing an orange.	I LIKE ORANGE JUICE.I like orange juice.
brown	A B handshape slides down the side of the cheek.	DOG BROWN, BIG.The dog is big and brown.
pink	A P handshape brushes down across the lips once.	SHIRT PINK, NEW.The pink shirt is new.
color	The fingers wiggle in front of the chin with the palm facing in.	WHAT COLOR YOU LIKE?What color do you like?

Common verbs

Word	How to sign it	Example
eat	Fingertips tap the lips repeatedly, as if bringing food to the mouth.	WE EAT NOW.We are eating now.
drink	A C handshape tips toward the mouth, as if holding a cup.	I DRINK WATER.I drink water.
go	Both index fingers point up, then flip forward to point away from the body.	WE GO STORE.We are going to the store.
come	Both index fingers point out, then curl in toward the body.	COME HERE, PLEASE.Come here, please.
want	Both open claw hands, palms up, pull inward toward the body.	I WANT COFFEE.I want coffee.
like	The thumb and middle finger pinch on the chest and pull outward.	I LIKE MUSIC.I like music.
need	A bent index finger moves down sharply, sometimes twice.	I NEED HELP.I need help.
have	Both bent hands, claw shaped, tap the chest twice.	I HAVE CAR.I have a car.
help	One fist rests on the open palm of the other hand, and both lift together.	CAN YOU HELP ME?Can you help me?
work	Both fists, one stacked above the other, tap together twice at the wrists.	I WORK HOME TODAY.I am working from home today.
sleep	An open hand moves down over the face while the fingers close, eyes closing at the same time.	BABY SLEEP ALREADY.The baby is already asleep.
learn	The fingers pick up an imaginary object from the open palm and move it up to the forehead.	I LEARN SIGN LANGUAGE.I am learning sign language.
vocabulary	The sign for WORD, thumb and index finger tapping together, moves sideways along the flat palm of the other hand, showing a list of words.	I LEARN NEW VOCABULARY.I am learning new vocabulary.

Question words

Word	How to sign it	Example
what	Open hands shrug slightly with palms up, or the index finger brushes across the other open palm.	WHAT YOU WANT?What do you want?
where	The index finger points up and shakes quickly side to side.	WHERE YOU LIVE?Where do you live?
who	The index finger circles near the lips or chin.	WHO THAT PERSON?Who is that person?
why	Fingertips touch the forehead, then the hand pulls away and changes into a Y handshape.	WHY YOU LATE?Why are you late?
when	Both index fingers touch, then one circles around the other and comes to rest on top.	WHEN MEETING START?When does the meeting start?
how	Both bent hands touch knuckles, then rotate up so the palms face up.	HOW YOU DO THAT?How did you do that?
which	Two fists with thumbs up alternate tipping side to side, like weighing options.	WHICH ONE YOU WANT?Which one do you want?
whose	An open hand with the palm facing out is pushed forward slightly toward the person asked about.	WHOSE BOOK THIS?Whose book is this?

Food and drink

Word	How to sign it	Example
water	A W handshape taps the chin twice.	I WANT WATER.I want water.
milk	A closed fist opens and closes repeatedly, as if squeezing a cow's udder.	BABY DRINK MILK.The baby drinks milk.
coffee	One fist grinds in a circle on top of the other, like turning a coffee grinder.	MORNING, I DRINK COFFEE.In the morning, I drink coffee.
bread	The edge of one hand slices downward across the back of the other hand, as if cutting a loaf.	BUY BREAD STORE.Buy bread at the store.
apple	A closed fist with a bent index finger twists once near the cheek.	I EAT APPLE.I am eating an apple.
cookie	One open hand presses into the palm of the other and twists, like using a cookie cutter.	CHILD WANT COOKIE.The child wants a cookie.
cheese	The heels of both flat hands press together and twist slightly.	SANDWICH HAVE CHEESE.The sandwich has cheese.
hungry	A curved C handshape moves down the center of the chest toward the stomach.	I HUNGRY NOW.I am hungry now.
thirsty	The index finger draws a line down the front of the throat.	YOU THIRSTY? DRINK WATER.Are you thirsty? Drink some water.
egg	Two H handshapes tap together, then pull apart and down, as if cracking an egg.	BREAKFAST, I EAT EGG.For breakfast, I eat eggs.
pizza	A curved claw hand mimes holding a slice and bringing it toward the mouth.	WE ORDER PIZZA TONIGHT.We are ordering pizza tonight.

Time

Word	How to sign it	Example
today	Both flat hands, palms up, drop down together twice, combining the signs for 'now' and 'day'.	TODAY WEATHER NICE.The weather is nice today.
tomorrow	A thumbs-up hand near the cheek arcs forward and away from the face.	TOMORROW I TRAVEL.Tomorrow I am traveling.
yesterday	The thumb touches the cheek and moves back toward the ear.	YESTERDAY I WORK LATE.Yesterday I worked late.
now	Both bent hands, palms up, drop down slightly together.	MEETING START NOW.The meeting is starting now.
later	An L handshape twists forward from the wrist.	SEE-YOU LATER.See you later.
morning	One flat arm rests across the other bent arm and lifts up, like the sun rising.	MORNING I EXERCISE.I exercise in the morning.
night	One bent hand moves down over the back of the other flat hand, like the sun setting.	NIGHT, SKY DARK.At night, the sky is dark.
week	The index finger of one hand slides along the palm of the other from base to fingertips.	NEXT WEEK, VACATION.Next week is vacation.
month	The index finger of one hand moves down along the raised index finger of the other, one segment at a time.	ONE MONTH LEFT.One month is left.
year	Two S handshapes, one circles around the other and returns to rest on top.	NEW YEAR SOON.The new year is coming soon.
time	The index finger taps the wrist twice, where a watch would sit.	WHAT TIME NOW?What time is it now?

Emotions and feelings

Word	How to sign it	Example
happy	Both open hands brush upward on the chest repeatedly, palms in.	I HAPPY TODAY.I am happy today.
sad	Both open hands, palms in, move slowly down the face.	SHE SAD, DOG SICK.She is sad because the dog is sick.
angry	A curved claw hand rises up from the stomach in front of the face, like tension building.	HE ANGRY, LATE BUS.He is angry the bus is late.
tired	Both bent hands rest on the chest and drop down slightly as the shoulders slump.	I TIRED, WORK LONG.I am tired from working long hours.
scared	Both fists start together in front of the chest and spring open, palms facing each other.	CHILD SCARED, DARK ROOM.The child is scared of the dark room.
excited	Both middle fingers brush upward on the chest repeatedly, faster than the sign for happy.	WE EXCITED TRIP.We are excited about the trip.
love	Both fists cross over the chest, as if hugging oneself.	I LOVE FAMILY.I love my family.
surprised	Both index fingers and thumbs, held near the eyes, snap open quickly.	SHE SURPRISED, GIFT.She was surprised by the gift.
bored	The index finger of one hand twists at the side of the nose.	CLASS LONG, I BORED.The class is long, I am bored.
proud	The thumb traces up the center of the chest.	MOTHER PROUD ME.My mother is proud of me.

Common adjectives

Word	How to sign it	Example
big	Both L handshapes, palms facing, move apart to show a large size.	HOUSE BIG, NICE.The house is big and nice.
small	Both flat hands, palms facing, move close together to show a small size.	DOG SMALL, CUTE.The dog is small and cute.
hot	A claw hand near the mouth twists quickly away, as if dropping something hot.	SOUP HOT, WAIT.The soup is hot, wait a moment.
cold	Both fists shake slightly, as if shivering.	WEATHER COLD TODAY.The weather is cold today.
good	Fingertips touch the chin, then the flat hand moves down into the open palm of the other hand.	FOOD GOOD, TASTE.The food tastes good.
bad	Fingertips touch the chin, then the hand flips downward and away.	WEATHER BAD, RAIN.The weather is bad, it's raining.
fast	Both index fingers snap back quickly from a curved position to point forward.	CAR DRIVE FAST.The car is driving fast.
slow	One hand moves slowly across the back of the other from fingertips to wrist.	TRAFFIC SLOW TODAY.Traffic is slow today.
new	One curved hand scoops up and across the open palm of the other hand.	I BUY NEW SHOES.I bought new shoes.
old	A fist near the chin moves downward, as if tracing a long beard.	HOUSE OLD, HISTORIC.The house is old and historic.

Study tips for American Sign Language (ASL)

Practice signs in front of a mirror so you can check handshape, palm orientation, and movement all at once.
Learn facial expression and body language together with each sign; ASL grammar relies on eyebrow position and mouth movement, not just the hands.
Fingerspell the English alphabet first, since fingerspelling fills in names and words that don't have a dedicated sign.
Sign in short phrases rather than single words, since ASL word order (time, topic, comment) differs from spoken English.
Slow your movements down when starting out; precision matters more than speed for being understood.

Frequently asked questions

What is the ASL sign for vocabulary?

The sign uses the WORD handshape, thumb and index finger tapping together, brushed sideways along the flat palm of the other hand, showing a list of words being reviewed.

Where should I start with ASL Unit 1 vocabulary?

Most ASL Unit 1 courses begin with greetings, numbers, family signs, and simple question words like the ones grouped on this page; practicing them in short phrases such as HELLO, HOW YOU? builds a strong foundation.

Is ASL vocabulary the same as British Sign Language or other sign languages?

No, American Sign Language is a distinct language from British Sign Language and other national sign languages; the vocabulary on this page reflects signs commonly used in the United States and Canada.