To sign "duh," form both hands into open '5' handshapes with your fingers spread. Bring them up to about chest level with your palms facing toward your body. The most important part is the facial expression: tilt your head slightly and make a sarcastic or "obvious" face, such as twisting your mouth to the side, to convey the meaning of "duh!"
When someone states an obvious fact like the sky being blue, you can sign 'sky blue' and follow it up with the 'duh' sign. Make sure to use a highly sarcastic facial expression to emphasize that everyone already knows this information.
After someone asks a silly or obvious question, you can respond by throwing up your hands into the 'duh' position. Your face should look completely unimpressed, with a twisted mouth and tilted head, to show how ridiculous the question is.
You can use this sign at the end of a sentence to mean 'obviously.' Sign that you need to study, and finish with 'duh,' emphasizing the obviousness with a strong head tilt and hands brought up to your chest.
When someone states an obvious fact like the sky being blue, you can sign 'sky blue' and follow it up with the 'duh' sign. Make sure to use a highly sarcastic facial expression to emphasize that everyone already knows this information.
After someone asks a silly or obvious question, you can respond by throwing up your hands into the 'duh' position. Your face should look completely unimpressed, with a twisted mouth and tilted head, to show how ridiculous the question is.
You can use this sign at the end of a sentence to mean 'obviously.' Sign that you need to study, and finish with 'duh,' emphasizing the obviousness with a strong head tilt and hands brought up to your chest.
While you can sometimes do a one-handed version in very casual conversation, using both hands as shown in the video makes the sign much clearer and more emphatic. It really helps sell the sarcastic tone!
No, "duh" is considered slang or informal in ASL, just as it is in spoken English. It is a fun, expressive sign, but it is best used with friends, family, or in casual settings rather than in professional environments.
In ASL, facial expressions act just like your tone of voice does in spoken English. The sarcastic, unimpressed face is exactly what changes this from a simple hand movement into the specific, humorous concept of "duh."
