The sign for 'earthquake' is a two-part compound sign. First, sign 'earth' by holding your non-dominant hand in a loose fist or flat shape, palm facing down. Use your dominant hand's thumb and middle finger to pinch and lightly rock on the back of your non-dominant hand. Then, sign 'quake' by forming both hands into 'S' handshapes (fists) with palms facing down, and shake them back and forth in front of you as if the ground is trembling.
Sign 'earthquake', then point to yourself and sign 'feel', finishing with 'past night' while raising your eyebrows to indicate a yes/no question.
Sign 'California', then 'earthquake', and finish with the sign for 'many' or 'a lot' to emphasize the frequency of the events.
Start with the sign for 'earthquake', then sign 'cause' and 'damage', using a serious facial expression to convey the severity of the natural disaster.
Sign 'earthquake', then point to yourself and sign 'feel', finishing with 'past night' while raising your eyebrows to indicate a yes/no question.
Sign 'California', then 'earthquake', and finish with the sign for 'many' or 'a lot' to emphasize the frequency of the events.
Start with the sign for 'earthquake', then sign 'cause' and 'damage', using a serious facial expression to convey the severity of the natural disaster.
Yes, 'earthquake' is a compound sign. If you only sign the first part, it just means 'earth'. If you only sign the second part, it means 'shake' or 'tremble'. You need both to specifically mean 'earthquake'.
Yes, your non-dominant hand should be the base (representing the earth), and your dominant hand should be the active hand pinching and rocking on top of it.
The shaking motion should be relatively tight and kept in front of your torso. You can adjust the intensity of the shake to show how strong the earthquake was, but keep the movement controlled.
