How to sign
I / Me in ASL
I and ME are the same sign in ASL: an index finger pointing to or touching your chest. The English word changes; the sign does not.
- Single sign
- One hand
- Handshape: Index finger (1 hand)
- Center of chest
- Pronouns
How to sign i
- 1
Point your index finger at the center of your chest, or touch it.
- 2
That's it. For emphasis, touch firmly.
- 3
Use it for both 'I' and 'me': I HUNGRY, HELP ME (HELP moving toward you).
Common mistakes
- Using the pinky-up I handshape. That's borrowed from signed English, not ASL.
- Looking for a separate ME sign. There isn't one.
Keep going
More pronouns signs
Questions about “I”
Because ASL pronouns are pointing. Pointing at yourself means yourself, whether English would say I or me. The grammar role comes from word order and verb direction, not from a different pronoun.
Guide
Pronouns
Pointing is grammar in ASL. Learn the personal and possessive pronouns, why I and ME share one sign, and how to set up people in space so your sentences make sense.
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.