To sign "bothering", start with both hands in flat handshapes with your fingers together and thumbs extended upward. Hold your non-dominant hand in front of your chest with the palm facing your dominant side. Take your dominant hand, with its palm facing your non-dominant side, and tap the pinky-edge of it against the webbing between the thumb and index finger of your non-dominant hand. Tap it twice to indicate the ongoing action of bothering or annoying someone.
Sign "PLEASE" and "STOP", then sign "BOTHERING". Because "bother" is a directional verb, you can move the entire sign slightly closer to your own body to indicate that the bothering is happening to you.
Point to yourself, then sign "BOTHERING" while moving the sign slightly forward toward the person you are talking to. Make sure to raise your eyebrows and lean forward slightly to indicate you are asking a yes/no question.
Sign "NOISE" and "LOUD", then point to where the baby is. Sign "BOTHERING" while moving the sign in the direction of the baby to show who is receiving the annoying action.
Sign "PLEASE" and "STOP", then sign "BOTHERING". Because "bother" is a directional verb, you can move the entire sign slightly closer to your own body to indicate that the bothering is happening to you.
Point to yourself, then sign "BOTHERING" while moving the sign slightly forward toward the person you are talking to. Make sure to raise your eyebrows and lean forward slightly to indicate you are asking a yes/no question.
Sign "NOISE" and "LOUD", then point to where the baby is. Sign "BOTHERING" while moving the sign in the direction of the baby to show who is receiving the annoying action.
They use the exact same handshapes and location! The difference is in the movement. "Interrupt" or "interfere" is typically signed with a single, sharp tap. "Bother" or "bothering" uses a repeated tapping motion to show the continuous nature of the annoyance.
Yes! "Bother" is a directional verb. If you move the sign toward yourself, it means "bothering me." If you move it toward someone else, it means "bothering you" or "bothering them." This makes your signing much more efficient.
Absolutely. Facial expressions are a crucial part of ASL grammar. If you are genuinely annoyed or frustrated by someone bothering you, furrow your eyebrows and show that frustration on your face to match the intensity of the sign.
