How to sign “Ate” in ASL

Food & Drink

BSL and ASL are different languages — this is the American sign. See the BSL sign for “Ate” instead

Step by step

  1. Bring your bunched fingertips to your mouth.
  2. Repeat once or twice, as if putting food in your mouth.

Practice tip

Past form of “Eat” — signed with the base sign; time is shown separately, not on the verb.

Fingerspell “Ate”

Letter by letter — a handy backup if you forget the sign above. This is not the sign itself.

ASL handshape for letter AASL handshape for letter TASL handshape for letter E

See all ASL handshapes in the alphabet reference

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.

Browse all 1121 signs in the dictionary