Start with both hands in closed fists ('S' handshapes). Hold your non-dominant fist stationary in front of your body with the palm facing inward. Place your dominant fist on top of the non-dominant one, and make a quick, tight circular grinding motion. The movement is very similar to the sign for 'coffee', but is executed with a sharper, faster twist to represent a concentrated shot.
Sign 'espresso' with a sharp, quick movement to emphasize the strong caffeine hit, followed by the signs for 'need' and 'wake up'.
Contrast the quick, sharp grind of 'espresso' with the slightly slower, repeated double-grinding motion of 'coffee' to show the difference between the two options.
Sign 'espresso', then use a slightly squinted, intense facial expression while signing 'strong' to visually convey the bold, intense flavor of the drink.
Sign 'espresso' with a sharp, quick movement to emphasize the strong caffeine hit, followed by the signs for 'need' and 'wake up'.
Contrast the quick, sharp grind of 'espresso' with the slightly slower, repeated double-grinding motion of 'coffee' to show the difference between the two options.
Sign 'espresso', then use a slightly squinted, intense facial expression while signing 'strong' to visually convey the bold, intense flavor of the drink.
Both signs use the same base handshapes and grinding motion. However, 'espresso' is typically signed with a faster, sharper, and sometimes single circular twist to represent a quick 'shot', whereas 'coffee' uses a more relaxed, repeated grinding motion.
Yes, some signers initialize this sign by forming an 'E' handshape with their dominant hand instead of a standard fist. However, using the standard fist with a quick grinding motion is widely understood and accepted across the Deaf community.
Yes, the dominant hand should grind in a forward, circular motion (moving away from your body, then out to the side, and back towards you). This mimics the natural, real-world motion of turning a hand-crank coffee grinder.
