To sign 'hello how are you today', start with 'HELLO' by bringing your flat dominant hand away from your forehead in a brief salute. Next, sign 'HOW' by placing your curved hands together at the knuckles and rolling them forward so your palms face up. Point directly at the person to sign 'YOU'. Finally, sign 'TODAY' by forming 'Y' handshapes with both hands (thumbs and pinkies extended) and bouncing them downward in front of your body.
Sign the full phrase as a warm, polite greeting when meeting someone new, making sure to maintain friendly eye contact.
Use this complete greeting at the start of an ASL class or meetup before transitioning into your next question.
This is a great way to initiate a conversation with a friend or colleague you are catching up with.
Sign the full phrase as a warm, polite greeting when meeting someone new, making sure to maintain friendly eye contact.
Use this complete greeting at the start of an ASL class or meetup before transitioning into your next question.
This is a great way to initiate a conversation with a friend or colleague you are catching up with.
No, you do not need to sign 'are'. ASL does not typically use 'to be' verbs like 'am', 'is', or 'are' in this context. Signing 'HOW YOU' perfectly conveys the meaning of 'how are you'.
Because 'How are you?' is a 'wh-word' question (asking for an explanation, not a yes or no answer), your eyebrows should naturally be furrowed or lowered slightly when you sign 'HOW YOU'.
Absolutely! 'HELLO HOW YOU' is a complete and very common greeting on its own. Adding 'TODAY' just gives it a slightly more specific or formal feel, similar to how it is used in English.
