To sign 'can you,' point your dominant index finger directly at the person you are addressing. While pointing, it is essential to raise your eyebrows, widen your eyes, and tilt your head slightly forward. In ASL, this specific facial expression is the grammatical marker for a yes/no question, effectively turning the simple pronoun 'you' into the question 'can you?'
To sign this, you would first sign 'HELP ME' and then point to the person while raising your eyebrows to ask 'can you?'
Sign the word 'DRIVE' and then point to the person with your eyebrows raised and head tilted forward to ask if they are able to.
Sign 'COME HERE' and finish by pointing at the person with raised eyebrows to turn the statement into a yes/no question.
To sign this, you would first sign 'HELP ME' and then point to the person while raising your eyebrows to ask 'can you?'
Sign the word 'DRIVE' and then point to the person with your eyebrows raised and head tilted forward to ask if they are able to.
Sign 'COME HERE' and finish by pointing at the person with raised eyebrows to turn the statement into a yes/no question.
Usually, no. In ASL, asking 'can you' do something is often best expressed by signing the action and then pointing to the person while raising your eyebrows to indicate a yes/no question.
Raised eyebrows are the standard non-manual marker (facial expression) in ASL for yes/no questions. They signal to the other person that you are asking a question and expect a 'yes' or 'no' answer.
Yes! This same grammatical structure (pointing with raised eyebrows) can often translate to 'will you,' 'are you,' or 'do you,' depending on the context of the verb you are asking about.
