How to sign “Ago” in ASL
The BSL sign for “Ago” isn't in our dictionary yet — it will be fingerspelled in BSL mode, never replaced with this ASL sign.
Step by step
- Hold your dominant hand up in front of your body at chest height.
- Sweep the hand backward in an arc that travels over your dominant shoulder.
- Let the hand pass well behind the shoulder so the backward path reads as time gone by.
- Keep your palm facing your body through the whole arc.
- Use a bigger, more emphatic sweep when you mean a longer time ago — size shows distance.
- Pair it with a time word first, like THREE YEAR, so the listener knows how far back.
Practice tip
AGO borrows the PAST sign: one backward sweep over the shoulder, bigger for 'long ago'.
Fingerspell “Ago”
Letter by letter — a handy backup if you forget the sign above. This is not the sign itself.
Text-based guide researched from established ASL references (Lifeprint, university and public-health materials) and rewritten in original words. Signer-created photos and videos are a planned future upgrade.