Master ASL Vocabulary
Unit 1
HELLO
HI
WHAT’S-UP
How are you?
to be BUSY
to be CONFUSED
FINE
to be GOOD, WELL
GOOD
HAPPY
NOTHING, NOT-MUCH
SAME-OLD, THE-USUAL, COMMON
same
same
same
same
same
same
same
same
same
SLEEPY
SO-SO
to be TIRED
I am, me, I
YOU, YOU-ARE
HE/SHE/IT
YOU (plural), YOU (plural)-ARE
WE, WE-ARE, US
THEY, THEY-ARE, THEM
Good
MORNING
AFTERNOON
EVENING, NIGHT
EYE-CONTACT
You must maintain eye contact
when signing with others. To break
eye contact is considered rude.
HOLD-ON
If you must break eye contact for
some reason, use the hold on sign.
LOOK-AT-ME
• LOOK
• LOOK-AT-EACH-OTHER
• EYE-CONTACT
NO-EYE-CONTACT
PAY-ATTENTION, FOCUS
NAME
YOU NAME WHAT YOU?
LAST
It is not necessary to sign
LAST before you give you last
name. Just pause between
your first and last name.
HOME+WORK
DEAF
FRIEND
HARD-OF-HEARING
HEARING
This is also the sign for
PUBLIC as in public school.
to INTRODUCE
When using only one
hand, this is the sign for
WELCOME.
INTRODUCE
To MEET
Here the two index fingers
represent two people
coming together.
MY, MINE
Tap twice for MINE
NICE
to WANT
NICE TO-MEET-YOU
TURN-OFF-VOICE
If you need to get the attention of a Deaf person, gently tapping
their shoulder or wave your hand in the air. In large groups the
lights can be flashed on and off but be careful not to flash them
quickly as this signals an emergency.
I GO-TO BATHROOM.
Statement
I GO-TO BATHROOM?
Question
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
BATHROOM
You can also use “R” for a more
formal sign for RESTROOM.
to GO-TO
When the movement is signed toward
your body, it means to COME.
LEARN
Notice how the information is taken off the
page and put into the head.
PLEASE
NO
AGAIN, REPEAT
to SIGN, SIGN-LANGUAGE
SLOW, to SLOW-DOWN
THANK-YOU
YES
GOOD-BYE
LATER
ME-TOO, SAME-HERE, LIKE, ALIKE
to SEE, to see you
See you later
SEE-YOU TOMORROW
TAKE-CARE, CAREFUL
TOMORROW
One word in English can have many separate signs in
ASL, depending on the concept. For example GET/GOT.
I don’t GET it
I’ve GOT it
I GOT home
GET the book
GET the boy
I’m GETTING tired
BLANK-FACE
to be BORED
to be EXCITED
FACIAL-EXPRESSION
to be MAD, ANGRY
to be SAD
to be SICK
to be SCARED, AFRAID
Use head nod and Head shake when signing
affirmative or negative statements.
I AM HEARING. (head not)
I CAN’T GO (head shake)
CAN, MAY
CAN’T, MAY-NOT, CANNOT
to KNOW
DON’T-KNOW, DO-NOT-KNOW
LIKE
DON’T-LIKE, DO-NOT-LIKE
to UNDERSTAND
DON’T-UNDERSTAND
I’M-NOT, NOT-ME
to be ABSENT
(I) DON’T-MIND
• WOULD-YOU-MIND
DUE, OWE
FAVORITE
MOVIE
to PRACTICE, REHEARSE
SCHOOL
TODAY
NOW use a single
movement
End of Unit 1
YEA!
Don’t you feel smart?