How to sign
Happy Birthday in ASL
'Happy birthday' is HAPPY followed by BIRTHDAY, with a big smile.
- Phrase
- Two hands
- Holidays
- ASL Phrases
How to sign happy birthday
- 1
Sign HAPPY: flat hands brushing upward on the chest.
- 2
Sign BIRTHDAY: the regional form shown in the clip.
- 3
Smile. Many signers add the silent applause afterward.
Common mistakes
- Flat face.
Questions about “Happy Birthday”
2 signs: Happy, Birthday. ASL leaves out English words like "is", "a", and "the", so the phrase is shorter than the English.
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
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.