To sign cell phone, form your dominant hand into a 'C' handshape. Bring the hand up to your cheek, near your ear, with the palm facing the side of your head. Tap the 'C' handshape against your cheek twice to represent holding a mobile phone.
To sign this, point to yourself for 'I', then sign 'cell phone' by tapping the 'C' handshape on your cheek. Finally, sign 'lose' by bringing both hands together and dropping them open, as if an object just slipped right out of your grasp.
Point to the person you are talking to for 'your', sign 'cell phone', and then sign 'borrow'. Because this is a yes/no question, remember to raise your eyebrows and lean slightly forward at the end of the sentence to show you are asking.
Start by pointing to yourself to indicate 'my', then sign 'cell phone'. Finish with the sign for 'break' by holding both hands in fists and mimicking the motion of snapping a stick in half. Add a frustrated facial expression to match the context.
To sign this, point to yourself for 'I', then sign 'cell phone' by tapping the 'C' handshape on your cheek. Finally, sign 'lose' by bringing both hands together and dropping them open, as if an object just slipped right out of your grasp.
Point to the person you are talking to for 'your', sign 'cell phone', and then sign 'borrow'. Because this is a yes/no question, remember to raise your eyebrows and lean slightly forward at the end of the sentence to show you are asking.
Start by pointing to yourself to indicate 'my', then sign 'cell phone'. Finish with the sign for 'break' by holding both hands in fists and mimicking the motion of snapping a stick in half. Add a frustrated facial expression to match the context.
The general sign for 'phone' uses a 'Y' handshape (thumb and pinky out) by the ear, representing an old-fashioned telephone receiver. 'Cell phone' uses a 'C' handshape to mimic holding a modern, flat mobile device.
Typically, nouns in ASL use a double movement. Therefore, you should tap your cheek twice with the 'C' handshape to clearly indicate the noun 'cell phone'. A single motion might look more like a verb.
Yes, this sign is commonly used for any mobile phone, including smartphones. While some newer signs involve swiping a flat hand to emphasize the touchscreen, the 'C' handshape on the cheek remains widely understood for all cell phones.
