To sign 'jerky', begin by signing 'meat'. Hold your non-dominant hand flat in front of you with the palm facing you. Use the thumb and index finger of your dominant hand to pinch the fleshy part of your non-dominant hand between its thumb and index finger. After signing 'meat', smoothly fingerspell the letters J-E-R-K-Y.
Sign 'I', 'buy', and 'beef', then sign 'meat' and smoothly fingerspell J-E-R-K-Y to complete the sentence.
Sign 'you', 'like', and 'eat', then sign 'meat' and fingerspell J-E-R-K-Y. Remember to raise your eyebrows at the end to indicate a yes/no question.
Point to the jerky, sign 'meat', and fingerspell J-E-R-K-Y. Then sign 'spicy' while using an intense facial expression to show just how hot it is.
Sign 'I', 'buy', and 'beef', then sign 'meat' and smoothly fingerspell J-E-R-K-Y to complete the sentence.
Sign 'you', 'like', and 'eat', then sign 'meat' and fingerspell J-E-R-K-Y. Remember to raise your eyebrows at the end to indicate a yes/no question.
Point to the jerky, sign 'meat', and fingerspell J-E-R-K-Y. Then sign 'spicy' while using an intense facial expression to show just how hot it is.
While you can just fingerspell J-E-R-K-Y, adding the sign for 'meat' first is highly recommended. It gives the person you're signing with immediate context that you are talking about a food item, making the fingerspelled word much easier to catch.
Focus on clarity rather than speed. Each letter should be distinct and easy to read. As you practice, your speed will naturally increase, but a smooth, steady pace is always better than rushing and making the letters blurry.
You could sign 'dry' and then 'meat' to describe the concept, but signing 'meat' followed by fingerspelling J-E-R-K-Y is the most accurate and common way to refer specifically to jerky in ASL.
