Signs Dictionary
Real word-level signs with step-by-step instructions and practice tips — in two separate languages. ASL and BSL are distinct languages, not dialects of each other, so each dictionary was researched independently.
American Sign Language dictionary
57 signs found
Hello
Greetings & Politeness
Raise your dominant hand to your forehead, palm facing out, fingers together pointing up.
Goodbye
Greetings & Politeness
Raise your open hand, palm facing out.
Good morning
Greetings & Politeness
Sign GOOD: touch your chin with flat fingertips, then bring your hand down into your other open palm.
Good night
Greetings & Politeness
Sign GOOD: touch your chin with flat fingertips, then bring your hand down into your other open palm.
Thank you
Greetings & Politeness
Touch your chin with the fingertips of your flat hand, palm facing you.
Please
Greetings & Politeness
Place your flat dominant hand on your chest, palm down.
Sorry
Greetings & Politeness
Make a loose fist, palm facing your chest.
Excuse me
Greetings & Politeness
Hold your open hand at your chest, fingers together.
Yes
Everyday Basics
Make a fist with your thumb across your fingers.
No
Everyday Basics
Extend your index and middle fingers, other fingers tucked.
Help
Everyday Basics
Make a fist with your dominant hand and rest it on your other open palm.
Stop
Everyday Basics
Hold your non-dominant hand flat, palm up.
Go
Everyday Basics
Point both index fingers forward.
Come
Everyday Basics
Point your dominant index finger toward the person.
Want
Everyday Basics
Hold both hands in loose claws in front of you, palms up.
Need
Everyday Basics
Make the letter X: a fist with a hooked index finger.
Like
Everyday Basics
Point your middle finger and thumb back toward your chest (not touching).
Know
Everyday Basics
Touch the fingertips of your flat hand to the side of your forehead.
Don't know
Everyday Basics
Touch your forehead with your flat hand.
Understand
Everyday Basics
Hold your index finger up beside your temple.
Don't understand
Everyday Basics
Sign UNDERSTAND: flick your index finger up beside your temple.
Mother
Family & People
Hold your open hand up, fingers together.
Father
Family & People
Hold your open hand up, fingers together.
Baby
Family & People
Cross your arms as if cradling a baby.
Friend
Family & People
Hook your two index fingers together.
Boy
Family & People
Form a C with your dominant hand at the side of your forehead.
Girl
Family & People
Touch your thumb to your cheek near your ear.
Eat
Food & Drink
Bring your bunched fingertips to your mouth.
Drink
Food & Drink
Form a C with your hand as if holding a cup.
Water
Food & Drink
Form a W: index, middle, and ring fingers up.
Hungry
Food & Drink
Hold your open hand at your chest, fingers pointing down.
Thirsty
Food & Drink
Point your index finger at your throat.
More
Food & Drink
Bring the fingertips of both hands together in front of you.
Finished
Food & Drink
Hold both hands up, palms facing you.
Happy
Feelings & Health
Hold your flat hand at your chest, palm facing in.
Sad
Feelings & Health
Hold both open hands in front of your face, palms in.
Angry
Feelings & Health
Hold a claw hand near your face.
Tired
Feelings & Health
Rest your fingertips on your shoulders.
Sick
Feelings & Health
Touch the tip of your middle finger to the middle of your forehead.
Pain
Feelings & Health
Point your two index fingers toward each other.
Scared
Feelings & Health
Hold two fists at your chest.
Love
Feelings & Health
Cross both arms over your chest.
Morning
Time
Hold one arm horizontally across your chest.
Night
Time
Hold one arm horizontally across your chest.
Now
Time
Hold both flat hands in front of you, palms down.
Time
Time
Point to your wrist with your dominant index finger.
What
Questions
Hold both open hands up, palms facing up.
Doctor
Health & Safety
Hold your non-dominant hand out, palm up.
Hospital
Health & Safety
With your dominant index and middle fingers, draw a small cross on your upper arm.
Bathroom
Everyday Life
Make the letter T: a fist with your thumb poking up between your index and middle fingers.
Phone
Everyday Life
Extend your thumb and pinky (the Y handshape).
Car
Everyday Life
Hold both hands in front of you as if gripping a steering wheel.
House
Everyday Life
Touch your fingertips together to form a roof peak.
School
Everyday Life
Clap your dominant open hand down onto your non-dominant open palm.
I love you
Common Phrases
Raise your thumb, index finger, and pinky together; curl the other fingers.
What is your name
Common Phrases
Sign WHAT: a palms-up shrug.
Happy birthday
Common Phrases
Sign HAPPY: brush your flat hand upward at your chest.
British Sign Language dictionary
The BSL dictionary is growing — 47 signs researched so far from BSL-specific references. Signs not yet covered are fingerspelled using the two-handed BSL alphabet.
47 signs found
Hello
Greetings & Politeness
Hold your dominant hand up near the side of your head.
Goodbye
Greetings & Politeness
Raise your dominant hand near the side of your head, palm facing outward.
Thank you
Greetings & Politeness
Touch the fingertips of your flat dominant hand to your chin.
Please
Greetings & Politeness
Touch the fingertips of your flat dominant hand to your chin.
Sorry
Greetings & Politeness
Close your dominant hand into a fist.
Yes
Everyday Basics
Close your hand into a fist.
No
Everyday Basics
Extend your index and middle fingers.
Help
Everyday Basics
Hold your non-dominant hand flat with the palm facing up.
Stop
Everyday Basics
Raise your dominant hand, palm facing outward, fingers together.
Come
Everyday Basics
Bend the index finger of your dominant hand into a hook.
Want
Everyday Basics
Hold your dominant hand flat, palm facing your chest.
Need
Everyday Basics
BSL uses the same sign for NEED as for WANT.
Like
Everyday Basics
Hold your dominant hand flat with fingers together, thumb folded across (a closed flat hand).
Know
Everyday Basics
Make a fist with your thumb sticking out.
Don't know
Everyday Basics
Make the KNOW sign: fist with thumb out, tapping the side of your head.
Mother
Family & People
Form the BSL letter M with your dominant hand.
Father
Family & People
Hold out your non-dominant hand with just the index and middle fingers extended.
Baby
Family & People
Hold both hands in front of your body, one resting over the other, arms bent as if cradling something.
Friend
Family & People
Clasp your non-dominant hand with your dominant hand in front of your body.
Boy
Family & People
Extend only the index finger of your dominant hand.
Girl
Family & People
Make a closed fist with your index finger pointing up.
Eat
Food & Drink
Bring your fingertips and thumb together into a bunched shape.
Drink
Food & Drink
Curve your dominant hand into a loose C shape, as if holding a cup.
Water
Food & Drink
Hold your dominant hand flat, fingers together and palm facing down.
Hungry
Food & Drink
Place your dominant hand flat on your stomach.
Thirsty
Food & Drink
Bring your dominant hand, held flat, up to your throat.
More
Food & Drink
Hold both hands in a closed flat shape, fingertips touching thumbs.
Happy
Feelings & Health
Open both hands, palms facing each other.
Sad
Feelings & Health
Hold your dominant hand flat and vertical in front of your face, thumb tucked in.
Angry
Feelings & Health
Curl both hands into claw shapes, fingertips bent.
Tired
Feelings & Health
Place both hands in closed flat shapes on your chest, thumbs touching the chest.
Sick
Feelings & Health
Extend the little finger of each hand, keeping the other fingers closed.
Pain
Feelings & Health
Hold both hands open in front of your body, palms facing toward you.
Scared
Feelings & Health
Curl both hands into claw shapes.
Love
Feelings & Health
Flatten both hands, palms facing inward.
Morning
Time
Bend the fingers of your dominant hand so the fingertips point downward.
Night
Time
Hold both hands open in front of your body with palms facing inward.
Now
Time
Hold both hands out in front of you, palms facing up, fingers together and flat.
Time
Time
Hold your non-dominant arm in front of you with the wrist facing up.
What
Questions
Hold your dominant index finger up in front of your body.
Hospital
Health & Safety
Hold your non-dominant arm out in front of you.
Bathroom
Everyday Life
Hold your non-dominant hand out flat, palm facing up.
Car
Everyday Life
Hold both hands up in front of you with fingers closed, as if gripping a steering wheel.
House
Everyday Life
Hold both flat hands up at an angle in front of you, fingertips pointing up.
School
Everyday Life
Hold your dominant hand up with index and middle fingers extended together.
I love you
Common Phrases
Point to yourself over your heart to sign 'I'.
What is your name
Common Phrases
Hold your dominant index finger up and wiggle it side to side with a questioning look, to sign 'what'.
About these descriptions
Text-based, step-by-step guides researched from established references and rewritten in original words — ASL entries from Lifeprint, university and public-health materials; BSL entries from BSL SignBank, BDA-adjacent teaching materials and BSL dictionaries. Signer-created photos and videos are a planned future upgrade.