How to Sign "Importance"

To sign 'importance', form 'F' handshapes with both hands by touching the tips of your index fingers and thumbs together while keeping your other fingers extended. Start with your hands down near your waist, palms facing upward. Move both hands in a sweeping, upward arc until the index finger and thumb circles meet together in front of your chest.

Examples Using "Importance" in a Sentence

1

The importance of this rule is huge.

To sign this, you can use the sign for 'importance' followed by 'rule'. To convey that the importance is huge, you don't necessarily need a separate sign for 'huge'; instead, use an intense facial expression and make the sweeping motion of 'importance' larger and more deliberate.

2

I know the importance of family.

Sign 'I know family importance'. The sweeping motion of the sign helps emphasize how much you value family. Make sure your 'F' handshapes meet cleanly at the end to show that the concept of family is central and highly significant to you.

3

We discussed the importance of the project.

You can sign 'We discuss project importance'. Ensure your 'F' handshapes start low and meet clearly in front of your chest at the end of the sign. Maintaining a focused eye gaze will help convey the serious nature of the discussion accurately.

How to Sign "Importance"
To sign 'importance', form 'F' handshapes with both hands by touching the tips of your index fingers and thumbs together while keeping your other fingers extended. Start with your hands down near your waist, palms facing upward. Move both hands in a sweeping, upward arc until the index finger and thumb circles meet together in front of your chest.
Visual Logic(Etymology)
The sign for 'importance' relies on a strong visual metaphor of gathering things of value and bringing them to the forefront. By starting low and bringing the 'F' handshapes up and together into a single, central focal point, the sign illustrates drawing attention to something significant. The sweeping, upward motion conveys a sense of elevating a topic or object, centralizing its worth and weight so that it cannot be ignored. This iconic motivation perfectly captures the essence of something being highly valued or essential.
Signing Tips
When signing 'importance', focus on making a smooth, continuous arc when bringing your hands upward. The movement should feel deliberate, grounded, and controlled. Your facial expression is a crucial component of this sign; if you are talking about something of great importance, furrow your brows slightly, nod, and maintain a serious expression to match the weight of the concept. For added emphasis on something extremely important, you can make the upward sweeping motion larger and slightly slower, ending with a firm, definitive touch of the 'F' handshapes.
Common Mistakes
A frequent mistake beginners make is keeping the movement too small or starting the sign too high up on the chest, which lessens the visual impact of the word. Make sure to begin lower down near your waist and create a clear, wide, sweeping arc. Another common error is failing to bring the 'F' handshapes completely together at the end of the sign, or using the wrong handshape entirely. Always ensure your index fingers and thumbs form clear circles that meet distinctly in front of you.
Regional Variations
This sign is widely used and understood across the ASL community with minimal regional variation.
Examples Using "Importance" in a Sentence
1

The importance of this rule is huge.

To sign this, you can use the sign for 'importance' followed by 'rule'. To convey that the importance is huge, you don't necessarily need a separate sign for 'huge'; instead, use an intense facial expression and make the sweeping motion of 'importance' larger and more deliberate.

2

I know the importance of family.

Sign 'I know family importance'. The sweeping motion of the sign helps emphasize how much you value family. Make sure your 'F' handshapes meet cleanly at the end to show that the concept of family is central and highly significant to you.

3

We discussed the importance of the project.

You can sign 'We discuss project importance'. Ensure your 'F' handshapes start low and meet clearly in front of your chest at the end of the sign. Maintaining a focused eye gaze will help convey the serious nature of the discussion accurately.

Frequently Asked Questions
Is the sign for 'importance' the same as 'important'?

Yes, in ASL, the concepts of 'importance' and 'important' share the exact same sign. The specific English translation is understood through the context of your sentence, the topic of conversation, and the non-manual markers, like your facial expressions, that accompany the sign.

Do my hands have to touch at the end?

Yes, the circles formed by your index fingers and thumbs should meet and touch in front of your chest to complete the sign properly. This physical connection at the end of the movement emphasizes the core meaning of bringing focus to something significant.

Can I use this sign for 'worth' or 'value'?

Yes, this sign is highly versatile and is commonly used to express related concepts like 'worth', 'value', and 'significant'. The core idea is highlighting something that matters, so it fits perfectly in contexts where you are discussing the value or merit of an object or idea.

ASL is a beautiful, expressive language. Practice regularly and have fun!