To sign 'obedient', start with both hands in flattened 'O' shapes, with your fingertips touching your thumbs. Position your dominant hand near your forehead and your non-dominant hand lower, near your chest. Move both hands forward and slightly down at the same time, opening them into flat, open hands with your palms facing up.
Sign 'dog', then sign 'obedient' by starting with flattened 'O' hands near your head and chest, moving them forward and opening them up.
Point to the person, sign 'must', sign 'obedient', and then sign 'rules' to convey the necessity of following instructions.
Point to the person, sign 'student', and then use the sign for 'obedient' to describe her willingness to learn and follow directions.
Sign 'dog', then sign 'obedient' by starting with flattened 'O' hands near your head and chest, moving them forward and opening them up.
Point to the person, sign 'must', sign 'obedient', and then sign 'rules' to convey the necessity of following instructions.
Point to the person, sign 'student', and then use the sign for 'obedient' to describe her willingness to learn and follow directions.
Yes, in ASL, the sign for 'obedient' is exactly the same as the sign for 'obey'. ASL often uses a single sign to represent related concepts like verbs and adjectives. The specific English translation depends entirely on the context of your sentence.
While you might occasionally see it signed with just the dominant hand in very casual, fast-paced conversation, using both hands is the standard and most clearly understood way to sign 'obedient'. Beginners should always practice the two-handed version to build muscle memory.
The dominant hand starts near the head to represent the mind or intellect, while the non-dominant hand starts near the chest to represent the heart or feelings. Moving them together shows complete, wholehearted willingness to follow someone else's guidance.
