To sign "lightning", start by holding your dominant hand up high with your index finger extended, pointing upward. Move your hand downward in a quick, sharp zigzag motion, tracing the shape of a lightning bolt in the air. The movement should be fast and sudden, just like a flash of lightning.
To sign this, you would first establish the context by signing 'storm', and then follow up with 'lightning'. Make sure to use a quick, sharp zigzag motion with your index finger to emphasize the suddenness and brightness of the flash.
When asking this question, raise your eyebrows to indicate a yes/no question. After signing 'see', trace the lightning bolt downward toward the specific area in your signing space where you previously set up the sign for 'tree'.
Begin by signing 'dog' and 'scared'. Then, sign 'thunder' by pointing to your ear and shaking your fists, and finish with the sharp, downward zigzag motion of 'lightning'. This clearly separates the sound of the storm from the visual flash.
To sign this, you would first establish the context by signing 'storm', and then follow up with 'lightning'. Make sure to use a quick, sharp zigzag motion with your index finger to emphasize the suddenness and brightness of the flash.
When asking this question, raise your eyebrows to indicate a yes/no question. After signing 'see', trace the lightning bolt downward toward the specific area in your signing space where you previously set up the sign for 'tree'.
Begin by signing 'dog' and 'scared'. Then, sign 'thunder' by pointing to your ear and shaking your fists, and finish with the sharp, downward zigzag motion of 'lightning'. This clearly separates the sound of the storm from the visual flash.
While the standard sign uses just your dominant hand's index finger to trace a bolt, some people use both hands opening quickly (like flashing lights) to describe a sky full of lightning. For a single bolt, stick to the one-handed zigzag.
Usually, two or three sharp angles are plenty. You do not need to draw a long, continuous zigzag all the way to the floor. A quick, short 'Z' shape in the air is perfectly clear and natural.
No, they are different! Lightning is visual, so you trace the bolt. Thunder is auditory and felt, so it is typically signed by pointing to the ear and then shaking both fists back and forth to represent the rumbling vibration.
