How to Sign "Pants"
To sign pants, start with both hands open and palms facing your body near your upper thighs or hips. Bring both hands upward a few inches while closing your fingers to your thumbs, as if you are grasping the fabric of your pants. Repeat this upward pulling motion twice.
Visual Logic(Etymology)
This sign is highly iconic, meaning it looks exactly like the action it represents. The handshape and upward pulling motion mimic the everyday action of grabbing the waistband of your pants and pulling them up.
Signing Tips
Keep the movement natural and close to your body, right around your hip area. You do not need to reach all the way down to your knees; a small, double upward tug near your waistline is perfect for conveying the sign clearly.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is making the movement too large or doing it too high up on the torso. Make sure the sign stays down near your hips or upper thighs, and keep the pulling motion relatively small and quick.
Regional Variations
This sign is widely used and understood across the ASL community with minimal regional variation.
Examples Using "Pants" in a Sentence
1I need to buy new pants.
Sign pants, then use the signs for buy and new. The sign for pants establishes the topic of what you are purchasing.
2Your pants are blue.
Point to the person to sign your, sign pants, and then sign blue. Remember to keep the pulling motion of pants near your hips.
3Put on your pants.
You can sign pants and then use the sign for put on. The motion of the pants sign itself already looks a lot like the action of getting dressed!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to touch my actual clothing when signing this?
You do not have to physically grab your clothing. You can just hover your hands slightly in front of your body while making the grasping and pulling motion.
Is this sign used for shorts too?
No, shorts has a different sign where you use your flat hands to chop against your lower thighs, indicating the length of the shorts. The sign for pants implies full-length trousers.
Can I do this sign with just one hand?
No, pants is a symmetrical two-handed sign. Since you use both hands to pull up a pair of pants in real life, you should use both hands to accurately produce the sign.
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