To sign "describe," start with both hands in "F" handshapes, where the tips of your index fingers and thumbs touch while the other three fingers remain extended. Hold your hands in front of your chest with your palms facing each other. Move your hands alternately forward and backward a few times. As one hand moves away from your body, the other should move closer, as if you are pulling out details one by one.
Sign "PERSON" or "SUSPECT", then use the "describe" sign while leaning forward slightly with raised eyebrows to indicate you are asking a yes-or-no question.
Point to yourself, sign "describe" while moving your hands slightly outward toward the person you are talking to, and then sign "RULES".
Point to the person (or sign "SHE"), sign "MOVIE", then sign "describe", followed by the sign for "PERFECT" to emphasize how well it was explained.
Sign "PERSON" or "SUSPECT", then use the "describe" sign while leaning forward slightly with raised eyebrows to indicate you are asking a yes-or-no question.
Point to yourself, sign "describe" while moving your hands slightly outward toward the person you are talking to, and then sign "RULES".
Point to the person (or sign "SHE"), sign "MOVIE", then sign "describe", followed by the sign for "PERFECT" to emphasize how well it was explained.
Yes, in ASL, "describe" and "explain" use the exact same sign. You rely on the context of your sentence and your natural mouth movements to clarify which specific English word you mean to convey.
Your palms should generally face each other, though they might angle slightly upward or downward naturally as you perform the alternating forward and backward motion. Focus more on the "F" handshape and the alternating movement.
Typically, you will alternate the hands two or three times for a standard sentence. If you are emphasizing a very long, complex, or detailed description, you might repeat the movement a few extra times to show the ongoing effort.
