How to Sign "Help You"
To sign "help you," start with your non-dominant hand flat in front of you, palm facing up. Form a thumbs-up with your dominant hand and place it resting on top of your flat palm. Finally, move both hands forward together, in the direction of the person you are offering help to.
Visual Logic(Etymology)
The sign for "help" is highly visual. The flat non-dominant hand acts as a foundation or support, while the dominant hand represents a person or object being lifted up or assisted. Moving the structure forward visually represents giving that support to someone else.
Signing Tips
"Help" is a directional verb in ASL, meaning the direction you move your hands changes the meaning. To sign "help you," the movement must start near your body and move outward toward the person you are addressing. Keep your non-dominant hand flat and stable as the base.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is moving the sign toward yourself instead of outward, which changes the meaning to "help me." Another mistake is forgetting the base hand entirely; make sure your dominant thumbs-up rests firmly on your flat non-dominant palm.
Regional Variations
This sign is widely used and understood across the ASL community with minimal regional variation.
Examples Using "Help You" in a Sentence
1Can I help you?
Sign "help you" by moving the hands forward toward the person, while raising your eyebrows and leaning slightly forward to indicate a yes/no question.
2I want to help you.
Sign "I", then "want", and finally "help you". Make sure the movement of "help" goes directly from your body toward the person you are speaking to.
3Let me help you with your bags.
You can use the sign "help you" moving toward the person. The directional movement itself shows that the assistance is going from you to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change "help you" to "help me"?
Because "help" is a directional verb, you simply reverse the movement. Instead of moving the hands outward toward the other person, start the sign slightly away from your body and pull it inward toward your chest.
Do I need to sign "I" and "you" when signing "help you"?
Usually, no! The movement of the sign itself includes the subject and object. By moving the sign from yourself toward the other person, you are already saying "I help you" without needing extra signs.
Does it matter which hand is on top?
Yes, your dominant hand should be the one making the thumbs-up shape on top, while your non-dominant hand acts as the flat base underneath. If you are right-handed, your right hand is the one on top.
Related ASL Signs