To sign "occur," start with both hands in front of you in "1" handshapes, with your index fingers pointing forward and your palms facing up. Simultaneously flip both hands over so that your palms end up facing down. The movement is quick and deliberate, representing an event taking place. This is the exact same sign used for "happen."
To sign this, start with 'WHEN', then sign 'ACCIDENT', and finish with 'OCCUR'. Since this is a 'wh-' question, remember to keep your eyebrows furrowed and tilt your head slightly forward throughout the sentence to show you are asking for information.
In ASL, time concepts usually come first. Sign 'TOMORROW' to establish when the event is happening, followed by 'MEETING', and then 'OCCUR'. You don't need a separate sign for 'will', as 'TOMORROW' already sets the sentence in the future tense.
Sign 'THAT', then 'REALLY', and finally 'OCCUR'. Because this is a yes/no question, you must raise your eyebrows and lean in slightly while signing. The crisp flipping motion of 'OCCUR' emphasizes the reality of the event.
To sign this, start with 'WHEN', then sign 'ACCIDENT', and finish with 'OCCUR'. Since this is a 'wh-' question, remember to keep your eyebrows furrowed and tilt your head slightly forward throughout the sentence to show you are asking for information.
In ASL, time concepts usually come first. Sign 'TOMORROW' to establish when the event is happening, followed by 'MEETING', and then 'OCCUR'. You don't need a separate sign for 'will', as 'TOMORROW' already sets the sentence in the future tense.
Sign 'THAT', then 'REALLY', and finally 'OCCUR'. Because this is a yes/no question, you must raise your eyebrows and lean in slightly while signing. The crisp flipping motion of 'OCCUR' emphasizes the reality of the event.
Yes, 'occur' and 'happen' use the exact same sign in ASL. You rely on the context of your sentence to convey the specific English nuance, though the core meaning of an event taking place remains the same.
No, the movement should primarily come from your wrists. Keep your arms relatively still in a comfortable position in front of your torso. Use a quick, crisp wrist rotation to flip your hands over, keeping the rest of your arms stable.
If an event physically takes place, use this sign. However, if a thought 'occurs' to you, ASL uses a different sign where an index finger flicks up near the side of your forehead. Use this 'occur' sign specifically for situations, events, and incidents.
