To sign 'bad luck' (or 'unlucky'), start by forming an open '8' handshape with your dominant hand, which means extending your fingers and bending your middle finger inward. Touch your chin with the tip of your middle finger, with your palm facing you. Then, move your hand forward and away from your face while twisting your wrist so that your palm ends up facing downward.
Sign 'today', point to yourself, and then sign 'bad luck' with a disappointed facial expression.
Point to the situation or person, then sign 'bad luck' while shaking your head slightly.
Sign 'test', point to the person, and sign 'bad luck' while raising your eyebrows to ask a yes/no question.
Sign 'today', point to yourself, and then sign 'bad luck' with a disappointed facial expression.
Point to the situation or person, then sign 'bad luck' while shaking your head slightly.
Sign 'test', point to the person, and sign 'bad luck' while raising your eyebrows to ask a yes/no question.
Both signs start with the open '8' handshape at the chin. For 'luck', the hand moves forward with the palm facing outward. For 'bad luck', the wrist twists so the palm faces downward as the hand moves forward.
Yes! Facial expressions are a crucial part of ASL grammar. When signing 'bad luck', you should use a disappointed, frustrated, or sympathetic facial expression to match the negative context.
While you could sign the two separate words, the single twisting sign shown here is the most natural and common way to express 'bad luck' or 'unlucky' in ASL.
