Manual Communication Words

Fingerspell Letters A-Z

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Numbers 1-10

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Hi

Wave open palm left to right or fingerspell "H-I"

Hello

"H" hand shape at your temple and move out (like a salute)

Hey

Place "C" shape cupped around mouth

Bye

DH open "B" tips down by side, wave up and down

Good

Open "B" with both hands with palms toward body; DH starts at chin and moves out to meet the NDH in front of body

Goodbye

Sign "good" but flip palm back to wave up and down

Morning

Both hands open "B" handshape, NDH arm flat and palm down toward right elbow, DH starts palm up and moves right to vertical position

Please

Rub chest with closed "5" handshape in circular motion

Thank you

Bring closed "5" handshape to chin and move down

Sign

Bring hands together in "1" handshapes and move in circles

Yes

DH "S" handshape "nods" up and down and nod head "yes"

No

Bring thumb, index finger, and middle finger together (repeat) and shake head "no"

I

"I" handshape with thumb side on chest

Me

Pointer finger to chest

My

Open palm on chest

Mine

Sign "my" and tap 2 times

You

Pointer finger toward person

Your

Open palm toward person

Yours

Sign "your" and then "s" moving forward

He

"E" handshape DH at R temple, move out

Him

"M" handshape at R temple, move out

His

"S" handshape DH at R temple, move out

She

"E" handshape DH with knuckles to L, place on R cheek and move forward

Her

"R" handshape DH, place on R cheek and move out

Hers

"R" handshape DH, place on R cheek and move out then "S" handshape and move out

It

NDH open palm up, DH "I" shape, place tip of pinky in palm

Its

Sign "it" followed by "s" with DH

They

DH open palm, palm up, slide L to R, twist into "Y" with palm out

Them

DH open palm, palm up, slide L to R, twist into "M" with palm out

Their

DH open palm, palm up, slide L to R, twist into "R" with palm out

Theirs

DH open palm, palm up, slide L to R, twist into "R" with palm out, add "S" and move forward

We

DH index finger arc from R to L shoulder

Us

Same as "we" with "U" handshape

Our

Same as "we" with "C" handshape

Ours

"Our", add "S"

That

DH "Y" palm down, place on NDH open B palm

Those

"That" and bounce x2

This

DH pointer finger touches to NDH open B palm

These

"This" but tap x2

3rd person singular -s (runs)

“s”

Past participle N (gone)

“n”

-ing

“I” twist out

Regular past tense (walked)

“d”

irregular past tense (went, did)

Wave RH open B handshape away

Do

Claw shape both hands, palms down, move back and forth

Does

Sign "do" and add "s"

Did

Sign "do" + irregular past tense marker (wave DH open B handshape away)

Is

DH "I"  to mouth and move out

Am

DH "A" to mouth and move out

Are

DH "R" to mouth and move out

Was

DH "W" to lips, move back to cheek

Were

DH "R" to lips and move back to right cheek

Has

Place two 'S" hands with palm/fish facing body to chest

Have

Same as "has" with both hands in "V" shapes

‘d

“D”, twist toward body

‘ll

“L” twist toward body

‘m

“m” twist toward body

n’t

“n” twist toward body

‘re

“r” twist toward body

‘ve

“v” twist toward body

‘s

“s” twist toward body

(also for possessive s like Emma’s)

Would

Open "B" with palm facing dominant cheek, bring straight forward/down (chopping

Can

Both hands in "S" handshape, bring both fists down in front of body

Could

Sign "can" and bounce x2

Should

DH "X" handshape, bring straight down

Don’t

Open "B" with both hands, cross across body and bring away from each ot

Doesn’t

Sign "don't" with DH in "S" handshape

Didn’t

Sign "don't" with DH in "D" handshape

Regular plural noun (houses)

“s”

irregular plural noun (mice)

repeat sign

Agent (person) (teacher)

Both hands open B handshape with palms in, move down

Agent (thing) (building)

Both hands open B handshape with palms in, move down further apart than person

possessives nouns (teacher’s)

“s” twist in

slow

Move DH slowly up back of NDH

sleep

DH open 5 to O as move down face

happy

Open B brush up chest x2

comparative -er (slower)

Thumb up

Superlative -est (slowest)

Two thumbs up, brush knuckles of DH against knuckles of NDH

Adverb -ly (slowly)

L-Y wiggle

Adjective -y (sleepy)

“Y'“

Not, un-, im-, in-, etc. (opposites) (unhappy)

Thumb comes out under chin

Who

Circle DH index finger around mouth clockwise

What

NDH open B tips out with fingers spread (palm faces to the right). Brush index tip

down across NDH fingers

When

NDH pointer finger up with palm facing towards you. Take DH index finger and circle

ND hand with it, then touch your two pointer fingers together.

Where

DH pointer finger up, wave it from left to right.

Why

DH open B palm in, place tips on forehead, move out into Y shape

How

Both hands “A” shape, hold backs of fingers together, turn in and up and open slighly

Which

“A” shape extended thumb both hands, palms facing each other. Move up and down

alternately.

Whose

Circle DH index finger around mouth (“WHO”), then sign S with DH.

A

"A" slide handshape away from body

An

"N" handshape, twist out

the

"T" handshape, twist out

Name

“H” shape both hands, tap DH on top of NDH 2x

Nice

B shape NDH, tips to right and palm in, slide DH “N” towards tips

of NDH fingers

To

“1” shape both hands, bring DH to touch tip of NDH

Meet

“1” shape both hands, palms face each other, bring together

See

“V’ shape DH palm in. Place tips at eyes and move forward

Up

point index finger up (semi-aggressively)