To sign silver, start by pointing your dominant index finger at your earlobe. Then, pull your hand away and downward while changing it into an 'S' handshape (a fist with your thumb wrapped across the front of your fingers). Give the 'S' handshape a slight shake or wavy motion as it moves down.
To express this, you would first sign 'silver' by pointing to your earlobe and bringing down a shaking 'S' handshape. Then, follow it up with the sign for 'necklace'. This sequence clearly describes the specific material and color of the jewelry you are complimenting.
Start by establishing the subject with the sign for 'car'. Then, use the sign for 'silver' to describe its color. In ASL, adjectives like colors often come after the noun they describe, so 'car silver' is the natural grammatical order for this sentence.
To ask this question, you will sign 'gold' (pointing to the ear and bringing down a 'Y' handshape), then 'silver' (pointing to the ear and bringing down an 'S' handshape). You can use a slight shoulder shift between the two signs to visually indicate a choice.
To express this, you would first sign 'silver' by pointing to your earlobe and bringing down a shaking 'S' handshape. Then, follow it up with the sign for 'necklace'. This sequence clearly describes the specific material and color of the jewelry you are complimenting.
Start by establishing the subject with the sign for 'car'. Then, use the sign for 'silver' to describe its color. In ASL, adjectives like colors often come after the noun they describe, so 'car silver' is the natural grammatical order for this sentence.
To ask this question, you will sign 'gold' (pointing to the ear and bringing down a 'Y' handshape), then 'silver' (pointing to the ear and bringing down an 'S' handshape). You can use a slight shoulder shift between the two signs to visually indicate a choice.
Pointing to the earlobe visually references wearing earrings. In ASL, the signs for precious metals like gold and silver are rooted in the concept of jewelry. By touching the earlobe first, you establish the context of a precious metal before specifying which one it is.
Both signs share the exact same location and movement: they start at the earlobe and move downward with a wavy, shaking motion. The only difference is the handshape. 'Silver' uses an 'S' handshape, while 'gold' uses a 'Y' handshape, corresponding to their English translations.
You do not need to forcefully press or pull on your earlobe. A very light tap with your index finger, or even just bringing your finger very close to the earlobe before moving into the downward 'S' handshape, is completely acceptable and common in fluent signing.
