How to sign
Afternoon in ASL
Afternoon is the ASL sign for afternoon, filed under Time of Day. Watch the clip, then sign it along with the video.
- Single sign
- Time of Day
How to sign afternoon
- 1
Watch the clip once at full speed, then once at half speed. Notice the handshape, where the sign sits, and the direction the hand moves.
- 2
Sign afternoon along with the video. Keep your hand where the signer keeps it; moving a sign up, down, or off to the side can change its meaning.
- 3
Add the face. Even a plain vocabulary sign reads better with natural eye contact and an expression that matches the context.
Common mistakes
- Mouthing the full English sentence while you sign. Mouth the ASL gloss or keep your lips relaxed; ASL is its own language, not English on the hands.
- Signing too low or too far from the body. Keep your signing space between your chest and your chin where it is easy to see.
Questions about “Afternoon”
Yes. This clip shows the common ASL sign for afternoon. Like spoken languages, ASL has regional variation, so you may see small differences from signer to signer.
Guide
Basic Phrases
The first phrases you actually use in a signed conversation: introductions, asking for help, saying you are learning, and keeping things polite. Real video for each one.
From the blog
ASL Grammar Is Not English: 7 Rules That Change Everything
Topic-comment order, time at the front, no 'is' or 'the', and eyebrows that ask the question. The grammar rules that make ASL its own language, with signed examples.