To sign "gone," start with your dominant hand open and relaxed in front of your body. Pull your hand up and away toward your dominant side, closing your fingers into a fist as you complete the movement. The motion should be smooth and deliberate, looking as if you are pulling something away to show it has departed.
Sign 'cookie', then use the sign for 'gone' with a disappointed facial expression to show they have completely disappeared.
Sign 'he', 'store', and then 'gone' to indicate that the person has left the current location for their destination.
Sign 'my', 'keys', and then 'gone', adding a confused or frustrated shrug to emphasize that your keys are missing.
Sign 'cookie', then use the sign for 'gone' with a disappointed facial expression to show they have completely disappeared.
Sign 'he', 'store', and then 'gone' to indicate that the person has left the current location for their destination.
Sign 'my', 'keys', and then 'gone', adding a confused or frustrated shrug to emphasize that your keys are missing.
Yes, this specific variation is often used interchangeably with 'leave' or 'depart'. It visually represents someone or something removing itself from the current location.
While 'gone' is sometimes used as a euphemism for death in English, ASL has a specific, separate sign for 'dead' or 'passed away'. It is usually better to use the specific ASL sign for clarity.
The one-handed version is perfectly acceptable and commonly used in casual conversation. However, you will also frequently see a two-handed version of this exact same motion, which is equally correct.
