To sign 'decide,' form both hands into 'F' handshapes by touching the tips of your index fingers and thumbs together, keeping your other three fingers extended. Hold both hands in front of your chest with your palms facing each other. Move both hands straight down simultaneously, stopping abruptly to convey a firm conclusion or choice.
To express this, point to yourself for 'I', then sign 'need' by bringing a hooked 'X' handshape downward. Follow this with the firm, abrupt downward motion of 'decide'. Finally, sign 'eat' by bringing a squished 'O' handshape to your mouth. Keep your expression thoughtful.
When asking this yes/no question, it is essential to keep your eyebrows raised the entire time. Point to the person for 'you', sign 'decide' with a clear stop, and finish with the sign for 'finish' (flicking both '5' hands outward) to represent 'yet'.
Begin by signing 'hard', striking the middle and index fingers of your dominant bent-'V' hand onto your non-dominant bent-'V' hand. Show a strained or frustrated facial expression to emphasize the difficulty, and then conclude with the crisp, simultaneous downward motion of 'decide'.
To express this, point to yourself for 'I', then sign 'need' by bringing a hooked 'X' handshape downward. Follow this with the firm, abrupt downward motion of 'decide'. Finally, sign 'eat' by bringing a squished 'O' handshape to your mouth. Keep your expression thoughtful.
When asking this yes/no question, it is essential to keep your eyebrows raised the entire time. Point to the person for 'you', sign 'decide' with a clear stop, and finish with the sign for 'finish' (flicking both '5' hands outward) to represent 'yet'.
Begin by signing 'hard', striking the middle and index fingers of your dominant bent-'V' hand onto your non-dominant bent-'V' hand. Show a strained or frustrated facial expression to emphasize the difficulty, and then conclude with the crisp, simultaneous downward motion of 'decide'.
While both signs use the exact same 'F' handshapes and location, the movement is completely different. 'Decide' requires a single, firm downward movement with both hands moving together and stopping abruptly. 'Judge', on the other hand, moves the hands up and down in an alternating motion, like a scale weighing two different options.
You will often see signers start 'decide' by pointing to their forehead (the sign for 'think') before bringing the 'F' hands down. This is a very common and correct variation. However, using just the single downward motion with the 'F' hands alone is also widely understood and perfectly acceptable.
No, 'choose' is signed differently. To sign 'choose', you typically use your dominant index finger and thumb to 'pick' something from your non-dominant hand. 'Decide' refers more to the mental action or final resolution of making a choice, rather than the physical act of selecting an item.
