The Channel 46

7 Basic Sign Languages that everyone must know

1. Hi/Bye, I/You, Yes/No

These are a few common signs everyone must know. These are simple gestures where you wave your hand to say hi or bye, point towards yourself or the person to indicate I or you, and nod your head vertically or laterally to say yes or no.

2. Indian/India

To say that you are an Indian or you are from India using sign language, you have to make a fist and take out your thumb and do the sign of putting a tilak on your forehead with the thumb.

3. Good/Bad, Correct/Wrong

Here, you do a thumbs up to say good, or thumbs down to point out something that is inaccurate. You can also communicate the same by making a ‘tick’ sign in the air, which would mean correct and make a ‘cross’ in the air to tell bad.

4. Thank You

Extend your fingers and thumb to make a ‘thank you’ sign. To do this, touch your fingers to your chin and bring your fingers forward. This sign is almost like you are blowing a kiss out to thank the person, but the sign is a bit lower. Similarly, extending both hands will be a sign of ‘thank you’ too.

5. Welcome

Welcome is signed by holding your hand up around shoulder level, palm facing up and slightly curved, then bringing it closer towards your chest.

6. Please

To say a ‘please’ to anyone, take your dominant hand with fingers extended and held together. Now with your thumb extended and sticking out, take the hand with the palm facing in, and rub it in a circle on your chest.

7. Sorry

To apologise to anybody using sign language, you must make a fist with your hand and rub it on your chest. Your facial expressions shouldn’t be pleased or blank while apologising, and they should be in tangent with your emotion of feeling sorry.

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