How to Sign "Are You Busy"
To sign "Are you busy?", you will use the sign for "busy" while adding a specific facial expression. Hold your non-dominant hand flat in front of you with the palm facing down. Form a "B" handshape with your dominant hand (fingers straight and together, thumb tucked in). Brush the pinky edge of your dominant hand back and forth across the back of your non-dominant hand. Crucially, keep your eyebrows raised and tilt your head slightly forward to indicate you are asking a yes/no question.
Visual Logic(Etymology)
The sign for "busy" uses the "B" handshape, making it an initialized sign. The brisk, back-and-forth brushing motion over the base hand visually represents continuous, ongoing activity or the feeling of having many things going on at once.
Signing Tips
Focus heavily on your facial expressions! In ASL, you do not need to sign the individual words "ARE" or "YOU" for this phrase. The raised eyebrows and slight head tilt naturally turn the concept of "busy" into the question "Are you busy?". Make sure the brushing motion of your dominant hand is brisk to emphasize the feeling of activity.
Common Mistakes
A frequent mistake beginners make is trying to sign the English words "ARE" and "YOU" before signing "BUSY," which is unnecessary and unnatural in ASL. Another common error is forgetting to raise the eyebrows; without the raised eyebrows, your question simply becomes the statement "busy."
Regional Variations
This sign is widely used and understood across the ASL community with minimal regional variation.
Examples Using "Are You Busy" in a Sentence
1Are you busy right now?
Sign "NOW" followed by "BUSY" with raised eyebrows to ask if the person is currently occupied.
2Are you busy tomorrow?
Sign "TOMORROW" then "BUSY" with raised eyebrows to check their availability for the next day.
3I need help, are you busy?
Sign "HELP ME", then pause slightly and sign "BUSY" with raised eyebrows to ask if they have time to assist you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to sign the words 'are' and 'you'?
No, you don't! In ASL, 'to be' verbs like 'are' are generally not signed. The pronoun 'you' is implied by looking directly at the person, and the question is formed entirely by raising your eyebrows while signing 'busy'.
What handshape is used for the dominant hand?
Your dominant hand should be in a 'B' handshape, which means your fingers are flat and together with your thumb tucked across your palm. You use the pinky-edge of this hand to brush against your non-dominant hand.
Why do my eyebrows need to be raised?
Raised eyebrows are the grammatical marker for a yes/no question in ASL. If your face is neutral, you are simply stating 'busy.' Raising your eyebrows signals to the other person that you are asking them a question and expect a 'yes' or 'no' answer.
Related ASL Signs
