Form both hands into 'A' handshapes, making fists with your thumbs resting on the side. Hold your non-dominant hand in front of you with the palm facing sideways. Place your dominant hand on top of the non-dominant hand, palm facing down. Move your dominant hand in a continuous, circular grinding motion against the bottom hand.
Sign 'chew' with a deliberate grinding motion, followed by the sign for 'food' to emphasize the action of eating properly and breaking down the meal.
After signing 'dog' and 'shoe', use the sign for 'chew' with a slightly more aggressive or continuous grinding motion to show the dog's destructive chewing habit.
Sign 'chew' repeatedly to show the ongoing action, then point to your jaw and sign 'hurt' while using a facial expression that conveys discomfort or pain.
Sign 'chew' with a deliberate grinding motion, followed by the sign for 'food' to emphasize the action of eating properly and breaking down the meal.
After signing 'dog' and 'shoe', use the sign for 'chew' with a slightly more aggressive or continuous grinding motion to show the dog's destructive chewing habit.
Sign 'chew' repeatedly to show the ongoing action, then point to your jaw and sign 'hurt' while using a facial expression that conveys discomfort or pain.
While this sign means the general action of chewing, 'gum' or 'chewing gum' usually has its own specific sign where you place a 'V' or 'U' handshape near your cheek and bend the fingers to mimic gum stretching.
The exact direction of the circle isn't strictly important, but most signers naturally grind the dominant hand in small outward or clockwise circles. The key is the continuous grinding contact between the hands.
Yes! This sign works well for animals chewing. You can adjust your facial expression and the intensity of the grinding motion to show how aggressively or enthusiastically the animal is chewing.
