How to sign
Father in ASL
Father is an open hand with the thumb tapping the forehead. The forehead is the male location in ASL family signs.
- Single sign
- One hand
- Handshape: Open hand, fingers spread (5 hand)
- Forehead
- Family
How to sign father
- 1
Spread your fingers in an open hand.
- 2
Tap the thumb against the center of your forehead twice.
- 3
For GRANDFATHER, do the same and bounce the hand forward in two small arcs.
Common mistakes
- Tapping the chin. That's MOTHER.
Use it in a sentence
English sentences you can sign with Father. In ASL the word order can shift and filler words drop away.
- “He is my father.”
Keep going
More family signs
Questions about “Father”
Historically, the forehead is where a man's hat brim sat, and the chin is where a woman's bonnet tied. The signs kept the locations long after the hats went away.
Guide
Family
The ASL family signs share one simple rule about the forehead and chin. Learn mother, father, grandparents, siblings, and cousins with video and memory hooks.
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