To sign 'eater', start by making the sign for 'eat': form a flattened 'O' handshape with your dominant hand and tap your fingertips against your lips twice. Then, add the 'person' ending (agent marker) by holding both flat hands in front of you, palms facing each other, and moving them straight down.
Sign 'picky' followed by 'eater' (EAT + PERSON marker). Make sure to use a facial expression that conveys being selective or hesitant about food.
Sign 'she', then 'fast', and finish with 'eater'. The 'person' marker at the end clearly establishes that you are talking about the individual doing the eating.
While the 'person' marker is typically used for humans, in casual ASL it can sometimes be applied to pets with human-like traits. Sign 'my dog', 'messy', and then 'eater'.
Sign 'picky' followed by 'eater' (EAT + PERSON marker). Make sure to use a facial expression that conveys being selective or hesitant about food.
Sign 'she', then 'fast', and finish with 'eater'. The 'person' marker at the end clearly establishes that you are talking about the individual doing the eating.
While the 'person' marker is typically used for humans, in casual ASL it can sometimes be applied to pets with human-like traits. Sign 'my dog', 'messy', and then 'eater'.
In ASL, 'food' uses a single tap to the mouth, while 'eat' uses a double tap. To sign 'eater', you use the double tap for 'eat' and then immediately add the 'person' marker (two flat hands moving downward).
That downward motion is called the 'agent marker' or 'person ending'. It is used in ASL to change a verb into a noun, meaning 'a person who does [the verb]'. It works just like adding '-er' to a word in English.
Strictly speaking, the agent marker is meant for humans (like 'teacher' or 'driver'). However, many signers playfully use it for pets when describing their personality traits, like being a 'picky eater'.
