How to sign
Bad in ASL
Bad starts like GOOD, a flat hand at the chin, but flips over so the palm faces down as it moves away, with a displeased face.
- Single sign
- One hand
- Handshape: Flat B hand
- Chin, moving outward and flipping
- How you feel
How to sign bad
- 1
Touch the fingertips of a flat hand to your chin.
- 2
Move the hand down and away while flipping it so the palm ends facing down.
- 3
Let your face show it: a slight frown or wrinkled nose.
Common mistakes
- Keeping the palm up. That's GOOD. The flip is what makes it BAD.
Use it in a sentence
English sentences you can sign with Bad. In ASL the word order can shift and filler words drop away.
- “That was bad.”
Questions about “Bad”
Yes. This clip shows the common ASL sign for bad. Like spoken languages, ASL has regional variation, so you may see small differences from signer to signer.
Guide
Feelings
Emotion signs are where facial expression stops being optional. Learn the core feeling signs, the full phrases like I'm tired, and how to match your face to the sign.
From the blog
The First 50 ASL Signs to Learn (and Why These 50)
A teacher-picked starter vocabulary: greetings, replies, pronouns, question words, and feelings that let you hold a real first conversation. Every sign on video.