How to Sign "I Dont Know"
Take your dominant hand in your closed 5 handshape, place your hand near your forehead with your fingertips touching your temple, then you will flick your wrist out with your palm facing out while shaking your head “no”
Examples Using "I Dont Know" in a Sentence
1
I don't know where my keys are.
Start by signing 'I DON'T KNOW' using the crisp wrist flick from your temple while shaking your head 'no', then follow up with the signs for 'WHERE MY KEYS'.
2
Do you know the answer? No, I don't know.
After acknowledging the question, use your dominant hand in the closed 5 handshape at your temple and flick it outward to clearly and naturally state that you don't have the answer.
3
I don't know what time the movie starts.
Begin your sentence with the 'I DON'T KNOW' sign, making sure to include the negative head shake, before transitioning into the signs for 'TIME MOVIE START'.
How to Sign "I Dont Know"
Take your dominant hand in your closed 5 handshape, place your hand near your forehead with your fingertips touching your temple, then you will flick your wrist out with your palm facing out while shaking your head “no”
Visual Logic(Etymology)
This sign is a negative incorporation of the sign for 'KNOW'. The sign for 'KNOW' involves tapping the temple, representing knowledge resting in the brain. By flicking the hand away from the head and turning the palm outward, you are visually discarding or rejecting that knowledge, indicating that the information is not there.
Signing Tips
The head shake is just as important as the hand movement! In ASL, shaking your head 'no' acts as a grammatical negative marker, which turns the concept of 'know' into 'don't know'. Make sure your wrist flick is a single, crisp motion turning the palm outward, rather than a slow wave. Keep your fingers together in the closed 5 handshape for a clean, natural look.
Common Mistakes
A frequent mistake is forgetting to shake the head. Without the head shake, the sign can look confusing or incomplete. Another common error is using a loose handshape instead of keeping the fingers together in a closed 5. Finally, make sure you don't throw your whole arm forward; the movement should primarily come from a quick, simple flick of the wrist.
Regional Variations
This sign is widely used and understood across the ASL community with minimal regional variation.
Examples Using "I Dont Know" in a Sentence
1I don't know where my keys are.
Start by signing 'I DON'T KNOW' using the crisp wrist flick from your temple while shaking your head 'no', then follow up with the signs for 'WHERE MY KEYS'.
2Do you know the answer? No, I don't know.
After acknowledging the question, use your dominant hand in the closed 5 handshape at your temple and flick it outward to clearly and naturally state that you don't have the answer.
3I don't know what time the movie starts.
Begin your sentence with the 'I DON'T KNOW' sign, making sure to include the negative head shake, before transitioning into the signs for 'TIME MOVIE START'.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to sign 'I' before signing 'don't know'?
Usually, no! The sign 'I DON'T KNOW' implies the subject 'I' when you sign it yourself. Adding the sign for 'I' beforehand is generally unnecessary unless you are heavily emphasizing that *you* specifically don't know compared to someone else.
Why do I have to shake my head?
In ASL, shaking your head is a non-manual marker that indicates negation. Since 'don't know' is the negative form of 'know', the head shake is grammatically required to make the meaning clear and accurate.
Can I use my non-dominant hand for this sign?
It is best practice to use your dominant hand for one-handed signs like this. Using your dominant hand keeps your signing consistent, fluid, and much easier for conversational partners to read.
ASL is a beautiful, expressive language. Practice regularly and have fun!