To sign "happiness," form a flat open handshape with your dominant hand. Place your palm against your chest and brush it upwards a couple of times. Make sure to include a bright, smiling facial expression to match the positive meaning of the word.
To sign this, you would point to the person, sign 'happiness' by brushing your chest upward, and then sign 'obvious'.
Sign 'money', 'buy', and 'happiness', then finish with a strong 'can't' while shaking your head to negate the phrase.
Sign 'I', 'wish', point to the person, sign 'happiness', and then sign 'forever' or 'all-your-life' to convey a lifetime.
To sign this, you would point to the person, sign 'happiness' by brushing your chest upward, and then sign 'obvious'.
Sign 'money', 'buy', and 'happiness', then finish with a strong 'can't' while shaking your head to negate the phrase.
Sign 'I', 'wish', point to the person, sign 'happiness', and then sign 'forever' or 'all-your-life' to convey a lifetime.
Yes! While the one-handed version is perfectly correct and very common, many signers use both hands brushing upward on the chest. Both variations mean the exact same thing and are widely understood.
Yes, in ASL, the same sign is used for both "happy" and "happiness." The exact meaning and part of speech are understood from the context of your sentence.
Typically, you brush your chest twice in a quick, rhythmic motion. A single, larger upward sweep might be used for emphasis (like feeling suddenly thrilled), but a double brush is the standard execution for "happiness."
