To sign 'their', start with your dominant hand in an open, flat shape with your fingers together and your thumb resting alongside them. Face your palm outward, slightly in front of your body. Then, sweep your hand smoothly out to the side in a gentle arc. This sweeping motion with a flat palm indicates possession for a group of people.
Point to the house to establish its location, then use the sweeping flat hand motion for 'their' to clearly show that the group owns it.
Sign 'car' first, then use the sweeping 'their' sign. Finish with the 'where' sign while furrowing your eyebrows to indicate a question.
Start by signing 'their' with the smooth sweeping motion, then sign 'dog', and finally use the sign for 'big' to complete the descriptive sentence.
Point to the house to establish its location, then use the sweeping flat hand motion for 'their' to clearly show that the group owns it.
Sign 'car' first, then use the sweeping 'their' sign. Finish with the 'where' sign while furrowing your eyebrows to indicate a question.
Start by signing 'their' with the smooth sweeping motion, then sign 'dog', and finally use the sign for 'big' to complete the descriptive sentence.
'They' is signed by sweeping an index finger, while 'their' is signed by sweeping a flat, open palm. The flat palm is the universal ASL marker for possession, so it changes the meaning from a group of people to something owned by that group.
Yes, you generally sweep your hand toward the area where the group of people is located, if they are present. If they aren't present, sweeping outward to your dominant side in your neutral signing space is the standard way to sign it.
Yes! In ASL, the sign for 'their' is also used for 'theirs'. The context of your sentence will make it clear which English word translates best, as ASL does not require a separate sign for the absolute possessive form.
