To sign 'cash', start by holding your non-dominant hand flat in front of you with the palm facing up. With your dominant hand, quickly fingerspell the letters C-A-S-H just above your non-dominant palm. Because this is a lexicalized fingerspelling, the letters blend together rapidly, often looking like a 'C' handshape that fluidly transitions into an 'H' handshape as it moves slightly downward toward the palm.
Sign 'need' by tapping a hooked 'X' finger down, then 'get'. Follow this with the lexicalized fingerspelling for 'cash' over your palm, and finish by fingerspelling 'A-T-M'.
Point to the person for 'you', sign 'have' by bringing both bent hands to your chest, and perform the sign for 'cash'. Point to them again while raising your eyebrows to indicate a yes/no question.
Sign 'I', then 'prefer' by tapping your middle finger to your chin. Next, sign 'pay' by sliding your dominant index finger forward across your non-dominant palm, and finally sign 'cash'.
Sign 'need' by tapping a hooked 'X' finger down, then 'get'. Follow this with the lexicalized fingerspelling for 'cash' over your palm, and finish by fingerspelling 'A-T-M'.
Point to the person for 'you', sign 'have' by bringing both bent hands to your chest, and perform the sign for 'cash'. Point to them again while raising your eyebrows to indicate a yes/no question.
Sign 'I', then 'prefer' by tapping your middle finger to your chin. Next, sign 'pay' by sliding your dominant index finger forward across your non-dominant palm, and finally sign 'cash'.
In ASL, many short English words are 'lexicalized,' meaning their fingerspelled version has evolved into a fluid, unique movement that functions like a single sign. 'Cash' is one of these commonly lexicalized words.
While 'money' is a great general term, 'cash' specifically refers to physical paper bills or coins. If you want to emphasize that you are talking about physical currency rather than a card or bank balance, using the lexicalized sign for 'cash' is more precise.
While you can fingerspell C-A-S-H in the air, placing it over the non-dominant palm is very common. The base hand adds visual context, mimicking the action of handling or exchanging physical money.
