How to Sign "Fourteen"
To sign “fourteen”, Using your dominant hand up apart from you with ASL number “4” but closed fingers and palm towards you. All fingers expected thumb, which is stay on your palm, bending the fingers a couple times. 27. star
Examples Using "Fourteen" in a Sentence
1
I have fourteen cousins.
Sign 'I', 'HAVE', then sign 'FOURTEEN' by holding up four closed fingers with your palm facing you and bending them inward twice, followed by 'COUSINS'.
2
She is fourteen years old.
Sign 'SHE', 'AGE', and then 'FOURTEEN' by tucking your thumb against your palm and bending your four fingers toward yourself a couple of times.
3
There are fourteen days until my birthday.
Sign 'FOURTEEN' using the repeated inward bending motion with your palm facing you, then sign 'DAYS', 'UNTIL', 'MY', 'BIRTHDAY'.
How to Sign "Fourteen"
To sign “fourteen”, Using your dominant hand up apart from you with ASL number “4” but closed fingers and palm towards you. All fingers expected thumb, which is stay on your palm, bending the fingers a couple times. 27. star
Visual Logic(Etymology)
In ASL, the numbers 11 through 15 share a common visual theme, signed with the palm facing the signer. For 'fourteen,' the handshape represents the base number four, and the repeated bending motion signals that it belongs to the 'teen' series, visually adding ten.
Signing Tips
Keep your four fingers glued together rather than spread apart like a standard '4'. Make sure the movement comes strictly from the knuckles, bending the fingers toward you crisply. Keep your thumb tucked neatly across your palm so it doesn't interfere with the movement.
Common Mistakes
A frequent mistake is having the palm facing outward, which is incorrect for numbers 11-15. Another common error is spreading the fingers apart instead of keeping them closed together. Finally, some beginners flap their whole hand at the wrist instead of just bending the fingers.
Regional Variations
This sign is widely used and understood across the ASL community with minimal regional variation.
Examples Using "Fourteen" in a Sentence
1I have fourteen cousins.
Sign 'I', 'HAVE', then sign 'FOURTEEN' by holding up four closed fingers with your palm facing you and bending them inward twice, followed by 'COUSINS'.
2She is fourteen years old.
Sign 'SHE', 'AGE', and then 'FOURTEEN' by tucking your thumb against your palm and bending your four fingers toward yourself a couple of times.
3There are fourteen days until my birthday.
Sign 'FOURTEEN' using the repeated inward bending motion with your palm facing you, then sign 'DAYS', 'UNTIL', 'MY', 'BIRTHDAY'.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my palm have to face me for fourteen?
In ASL, the numbers 1 through 5, as well as 11 through 15, are traditionally signed with the palm facing inward toward the signer when counting or stating a quantity. This is a standard grammatical rule in ASL numbers.
Do I bend my fingers once or twice?
You should bend your fingers a couple of times, usually twice. A single bend might look like a mistake or be confused with a different sign, so a clear, double bending motion is best for clarity.
Should my fingers be spread apart or kept together?
Keep your four fingers closed and touching each other. While a standard number '4' has the fingers spread apart, the sign for 'fourteen' requires the fingers to be together as they bend toward your palm.
ASL is a beautiful, expressive language. Practice regularly and have fun!