How to Sign "Lied"
To sign 'lied', bring both flat hands up near your chin, with your palms facing down and your fingertips pointing toward each other. Move both hands horizontally outward to the sides in a straight line. While the standard, everyday sign for 'lie' uses only your dominant hand sliding across your chin, this two-handed variation is often used to emphasize a blatant falsehood. It perfectly captures the idea of a 'flat-out' lie or someone 'lying out of both sides of their mouth.' It's a great variation to use when you want to add strong emphasis to the deceit.
Visual Logic(Etymology)
The standard ASL sign for 'lie' involves one hand sliding across the chin, which iconically suggests words slipping out sideways or deceitfully rather than coming straight forward as truth does. This two-handed variation expands that exact motion outward from both sides of the mouth. It visually represents a massive, 'flat-out' lie, or the concept of someone 'lying from both sides of their mouth,' making the deceit look larger and more obvious.
Signing Tips
When practicing this emphatic version of 'lied', focus on keeping your palms facing down and ensuring your hands move outward in a crisp, straight, horizontal line. Your facial expression is just as important as your hands—furrow your eyebrows or show a look of disbelief to match the severity or blatant nature of the lie you are describing.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake for beginners is letting the hands curve downward or droop instead of moving straight out to the sides. Additionally, remember that this two-handed version is specifically for emphasis. If you are casually mentioning a small fib, using both hands might look overly dramatic, so stick to the one-handed standard sign for everyday use.
Regional Variations
This sign is widely used and understood across the ASL community with minimal regional variation.
Examples Using "Lied" in a Sentence
1He lied to me about the test.
Sign 'he', then use the two-handed 'lied' sign to emphasize the blatant falsehood, followed by the sign for 'test'.
2I know you lied.
Point to yourself, sign 'know', point to the person, and use the two-handed 'lied' sign to show you know they told a huge fib.
3She lied about her age.
Sign 'she', use the two-handed 'lied' sign, and then sign 'age' to emphasize that she completely made the number up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sign 'lied' with just one hand?
Absolutely! The standard, everyday sign for 'lie' uses just your dominant hand sliding horizontally across your chin. The two-handed version shown in the video is a specific variation used for strong emphasis, like when someone tells a 'flat-out' lie.
How do I show that the lie happened in the past?
In ASL, verbs like 'lie' don't change their movement to show the past tense. Instead, you establish the timeline first by using a time sign like 'yesterday', 'last week', or 'past'. Once the past tense is set, you just sign 'lie' normally.
Why are both hands used in this specific video?
Using both hands moving outward from the center emphasizes the scale of the lie. It visually represents a blatant, massive, or 'flat-out' falsehood, adding dramatic weight to the sign that a single hand wouldn't convey as strongly.
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