To sign "guys," start by bringing the thumb and fingers of your dominant hand together at your forehead, as if you are grabbing the brim of a baseball cap. Then, bring both hands out in front of you with your palms facing each other, and sweep them outward in a slight arc to indicate a group. This smoothly combines the sign for "boy" with a pluralizing sweep.
Wave to get their attention, sign 'guys' using the forehead-to-sweep motion, and finish with the sign for 'what's up' while raising your chin slightly.
Sign 'guys' to address the group, then sign 'ready' and 'go.' Make sure to raise your eyebrows throughout the sentence to indicate a yes/no question.
Point to yourself, sign 'miss' by tapping your chin with an index finger, and then sign 'guys' while looking warmly at the group you are addressing.
Wave to get their attention, sign 'guys' using the forehead-to-sweep motion, and finish with the sign for 'what's up' while raising your chin slightly.
Sign 'guys' to address the group, then sign 'ready' and 'go.' Make sure to raise your eyebrows throughout the sentence to indicate a yes/no question.
Point to yourself, sign 'miss' by tapping your chin with an index finger, and then sign 'guys' while looking warmly at the group you are addressing.
Yes! Just like in spoken English, the sign for 'guys' is frequently used as a casual, gender-neutral term to address a group of people in ASL, even though it incorporates the root sign for 'boy.'
Using both hands for the sweeping motion clearly emphasizes the group aspect. While fluent signers might sometimes use a one-handed sweep in very casual, fast conversation, beginners should stick to the two-handed sweep for maximum clarity.
It is very similar and often identical! The sign for 'boys' also combines the 'boy' sign with a pluralizing sweep. 'Guys' and 'boys' are often signed the exact same way when referring to a group.
