How to Sign "What"
Use both hands in closed five handshape, with your palms facing upwards. Then shake your hands up and down in an alternating motion. Be sure to have your eye brows down when using the sign "What:
Examples Using "What" in a Sentence
1
What is your name?
In ASL, the question word often goes at the end of the sentence. You will sign 'YOUR NAME WHAT'. When you sign 'WHAT', hold both palms up, shake them slightly up and down, and make sure your eyebrows are furrowed.
2
What time is it?
Sign 'TIME WHAT'. Tap your wrist for 'TIME', then transition into the palms-up alternating shake for 'WHAT', keeping your eyebrows lowered the entire time to indicate a question.
3
What do you want?
Sign 'YOU WANT WHAT'. After signing 'WANT', shift your hands into the closed five handshape, palms facing up, and shake them in an alternating motion while furrowing your eyebrows.
How to Sign "What"
Use both hands in closed five handshape, with your palms facing upwards. Then shake your hands up and down in an alternating motion. Be sure to have your eye brows down when using the sign "What:
Visual Logic(Etymology)
The sign for 'what' is highly iconic and stems from a natural, universal body language gesture. Holding your hands out with the palms facing upward is a common human expression used to indicate questioning, confusion, or asking for clarification. ASL formalized this natural human gesture into a specific vocabulary word by adding the alternating movement and the required facial grammar.
Signing Tips
To sign 'what' naturally, focus heavily on your facial expression. In ASL, facial expressions act as grammar. Lowering your eyebrows (furrowing them) is essential for 'WH' questions like 'what'. Keep your hands relatively relaxed in the closed five handshape; the alternating up-and-down shaking motion should come comfortably from your wrists and elbows, looking like a natural gesture of inquiry.
Common Mistakes
The most common mistake beginners make is forgetting to lower their eyebrows. Without the furrowed eyebrows, the sign loses its grammatical meaning as a question. Another frequent error is shaking the hands side-to-side, rather than the correct up-and-down alternating motion.
Regional Variations
While the two-handed palms-up version is the most universally understood, you may often see a one-handed version used in casual or rapid conversation. Another variation involves dragging the tip of the dominant index finger down the non-dominant open palm, though the palms-up version taught here is the most standard and widely recognized.
Examples Using "What" in a Sentence
1What is your name?
In ASL, the question word often goes at the end of the sentence. You will sign 'YOUR NAME WHAT'. When you sign 'WHAT', hold both palms up, shake them slightly up and down, and make sure your eyebrows are furrowed.
2What time is it?
Sign 'TIME WHAT'. Tap your wrist for 'TIME', then transition into the palms-up alternating shake for 'WHAT', keeping your eyebrows lowered the entire time to indicate a question.
3What do you want?
Sign 'YOU WANT WHAT'. After signing 'WANT', shift your hands into the closed five handshape, palms facing up, and shake them in an alternating motion while furrowing your eyebrows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I have to lower my eyebrows?
In ASL, lowered eyebrows act as a grammatical marker for 'WH' questions (who, what, where, when, why). This facial expression signals to the receiver that you are asking an open-ended question, rather than a yes/no question (which uses raised eyebrows).
Where should 'what' go in an ASL sentence?
ASL sentence structure often places 'WH' question words at the very end of the sentence. For example, instead of signing 'What is your name?' in English word order, you would typically sign 'YOUR NAME WHAT'.
How big should the shaking motion be?
The alternating up-and-down motion should be relatively small and controlled, mostly coming from your wrists. You don't need to move your entire arms up and down drastically; a subtle, relaxed shake is perfectly clear.
ASL is a beautiful, expressive language. Practice regularly and have fun!