To sign "Juan", you will fingerspell the name using the American Manual Alphabet. Start with your dominant hand in a 'J' handshape, using your pinky to trace a 'J' in the air. Then, smoothly transition through the letters 'U', 'A', and 'N'. Keep your hand steady and your palm facing outward.
Sign 'MY FRIEND', then fingerspell J-U-A-N, and finish with the sign for 'DEAF'.
Sign 'I NEED TALK', and then smoothly fingerspell J-U-A-N to specify who you are talking about.
Fingerspell J-U-A-N, then sign 'HERE' while keeping your eyebrows raised to indicate a yes/no question.
Sign 'MY FRIEND', then fingerspell J-U-A-N, and finish with the sign for 'DEAF'.
Sign 'I NEED TALK', and then smoothly fingerspell J-U-A-N to specify who you are talking about.
Fingerspell J-U-A-N, then sign 'HERE' while keeping your eyebrows raised to indicate a yes/no question.
If you make a mistake, simply pause, shake your hand slightly to indicate an error, and start spelling the name again from the beginning.
Name signs are highly personal and given by the Deaf community. While a specific person named Juan might have a name sign, you should always fingerspell "Juan" until you are introduced to his specific name sign.
Yes, it is common and helpful to gently mouth the full word "Juan" (not the individual letters) while you are fingerspelling it, as this provides extra context.
