How to sign
What's That? in ASL
What's That? is a question words phrase in American Sign Language. Watch the clip, then sign it along with the video.
How to sign what's that
- 1
This phrase is signed as a sequence: WHAT → THAT. ASL drops English filler words, so there is no sign for "is", "a", or "the".
- 2
Keep the signs flowing into each other without pausing between them. One smooth phrase reads more naturally than three separate signs.
- 3
Match your face to the meaning. Questions get raised or lowered eyebrows; feelings get the feeling. The face is part of the grammar.
Common mistakes
- Pausing between each sign. Treat the phrase as one unit with one rhythm.
- 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.
Questions about “What's That?”
2 signs: What, That. ASL leaves out English words like "is", "a", and "the", so the phrase is shorter than the English.
Guide
Question Words
The six WH-question signs, where they go in an ASL sentence, and the eyebrow rule that makes a question a question. Video for each sign and full question phrases.
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.