The sign 'big' uses both hands. Curl all the fingers of the hands against the palms, leaving the index fingers and thumbs outstretched. Curl the fingers so the fingers make a C shape. Start with the hands close together, with the fingertips almost touching. Extend the arms out to spread the hands further from each other. While moving the hands, move your mouth as if you are saying 'cha'.
To sign this, you would first sign 'dog', and then follow it with the sign for 'big'. Make sure to emphasize the size of the dog by how far you pull your hands apart, and don't forget to mouth 'cha' to show it is truly large.
Sign 'I', 'have', 'family', and then finish with 'big'. In ASL, adjectives often come after the noun they describe. The distance you move your hands apart will visually demonstrate to the person you are talking to exactly how large your family is.
Start by signing 'we', 'live', and 'house', then use the sign for 'big'. Remember to start with your modified 'C' handshapes close together and pull them wide apart. The wider you pull your hands, the bigger the house you are describing!
To sign this, you would first sign 'dog', and then follow it with the sign for 'big'. Make sure to emphasize the size of the dog by how far you pull your hands apart, and don't forget to mouth 'cha' to show it is truly large.
Sign 'I', 'have', 'family', and then finish with 'big'. In ASL, adjectives often come after the noun they describe. The distance you move your hands apart will visually demonstrate to the person you are talking to exactly how large your family is.
Start by signing 'we', 'live', and 'house', then use the sign for 'big'. Remember to start with your modified 'C' handshapes close together and pull them wide apart. The wider you pull your hands, the bigger the house you are describing!
In ASL, specific mouth shapes are called non-manual markers, and they add essential grammatical meaning to your signs. Mouthing 'cha' specifically indicates that something is large, thick, or huge. Without it, your sign lacks the full descriptive power of the language.
While there is a related sign for 'large' that uses flat hands, the specific sign for 'big' taught here requires the modified 'C' shape with just the index finger and thumb. Sticking to this specific handshape helps you build clear, precise ASL vocabulary.
The distance you move your hands depends entirely on how big the object is! ASL is a highly visual language. If you are describing a slightly big box, move your hands a few inches. For a giant boulder, stretch your arms wide.
