To sign "good evening," you will combine two signs. First, sign "good" by placing the fingers of your flat dominant hand on your chin, then bringing it down to rest on your palm-up non-dominant hand. Next, sign "evening" by turning your non-dominant arm horizontally across your body, palm down. Finally, curve your dominant hand slightly and rest its wrist on the back of your non-dominant hand, representing the sun setting over the horizon.
Sign "good evening" followed by a sweeping motion for "everyone," or simply use a warm, welcoming facial expression to greet a group of people.
Start with the sign for "hope," point to the person for "you," and then sign "good evening" smoothly, keeping your movements relaxed and friendly.
Sign "good evening," then transition into "how are you" by pointing both curved hands inward at your chest and rolling them outward, finishing by pointing at the person.
Sign "good evening" followed by a sweeping motion for "everyone," or simply use a warm, welcoming facial expression to greet a group of people.
Start with the sign for "hope," point to the person for "you," and then sign "good evening" smoothly, keeping your movements relaxed and friendly.
Sign "good evening," then transition into "how are you" by pointing both curved hands inward at your chest and rolling them outward, finishing by pointing at the person.
While the formal version uses both hands for both "good" and "evening," it is perfectly acceptable and very common to drop the non-dominant hand for "good" in casual conversation. You can just move your dominant hand from your chin directly to the "evening" position.
The difference is in the position of the dominant hand (the sun). For "evening," the dominant hand rests on top of the non-dominant hand, showing the sun just setting. For "night," the dominant hand moves further down, crossing over the non-dominant hand to show the sun has completely set.
Yes, it is very common to mouth the words "good evening" naturally while signing this greeting. Along with a warm smile and eye contact, mouthing the words helps clarify your intent and makes the greeting feel much more friendly and complete.
