Ziggy.

How to sign

Give Up in ASL

Give Up is the ASL sign for give up, filed under Big Ideas. Watch the clip, then sign it along with the video.

How to sign give up

  1. 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. 2

    Sign give up 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. 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.

Use it in a sentence

English sentences you can sign with Give Up. In ASL the word order can shift and filler words drop away.

  • “Don't give up now.”

Keep going

More big ideas signs

All 10 signs

Questions about “Give Up”

Yes. This clip shows the common ASL sign for give up. Like spoken languages, ASL has regional variation, so you may see small differences from signer to signer.