How to sign “South” in ASL
The BSL sign for “South” isn't in our dictionary yet — it will be fingerspelled in BSL mode, never replaced with this ASL sign.
Step by step
- Shape your dominant hand into an "S" fist, folding the fingers down over the thumb.
- Hold the fist in front of your chest at a comfortable height, ready to move downward.
- Move the whole fist straight downward in one short, smooth motion.
- Keep the palm of the fist angled toward your non-dominant side; a palm-down variant is also widely used.
- Keep your face neutral and let the downward drop be crisp and deliberate, like pointing at the bottom of a map.
Practice tip
Picture a map: south sits at the bottom, so the S fist drops straight down.
Fingerspell “South”
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.