To sign "zombie," extend both of your arms forward in front of your body with your elbows slightly bent. Form both hands into relaxed, open claw shapes with your palms facing down toward the ground. Move your arms forward and slightly side-to-side in a stiff, rigid manner. This motion mimics the classic, awkward walk of a pop-culture zombie. Adding a blank or intense facial expression helps complete the sign.
To sign this, you would first establish the context by signing 'Halloween' and 'costume.' Then, point to yourself and perform the 'zombie' sign with stiff arms and a blank expression to show what you dressed up as.
Start by signing 'movie' and 'about.' Then, perform the 'zombie' sign. You can follow this with signs indicating spreading or taking over to explain the plot of the film.
This is a great metaphorical use! Sign 'morning,' 'coffee,' and 'not-yet.' Then, point to yourself and do a tired, sluggish version of the 'zombie' sign to show how exhausted you feel.
To sign this, you would first establish the context by signing 'Halloween' and 'costume.' Then, point to yourself and perform the 'zombie' sign with stiff arms and a blank expression to show what you dressed up as.
Start by signing 'movie' and 'about.' Then, perform the 'zombie' sign. You can follow this with signs indicating spreading or taking over to explain the plot of the film.
This is a great metaphorical use! Sign 'morning,' 'coffee,' and 'not-yet.' Then, point to yourself and do a tired, sluggish version of the 'zombie' sign to show how exhausted you feel.
While you don't need to be genuinely terrifying, adopting a blank, stiff, or slightly intense facial expression helps convey the meaning much better than a neutral face. If you are using it to mean you are tired, a sluggish, exhausted expression works perfectly.
It is a widely accepted and highly iconic ASL sign! ASL frequently uses visual representations and mimed actions that become standard, lexicalized signs. This 'zombie walk' is the universally recognized way to sign the word in the Deaf community.
Yes, you can always fingerspell Z-O-M-B-I-E. In fact, you might see it fingerspelled in very formal contexts or literature discussions. However, the visual sign is much more common, expressive, and fun to use in everyday casual conversation.
