How to Sign "Thank You" in American Sign Language

There are more than 500,000 people in the United States who are Deaf or hard of hearing and use American Sign Language as their first language. When you learn even one sign — like THANK YOU — you send a powerful message: I see you, and I want to include you. ASL is a complete, beautiful language with its own grammar, stories, jokes, and poetry.

By the end of this lesson you will: • Know what American Sign Language is and who uses it • Be able to sign THANK YOU correctly with your hand • Learn three more polite signs: PLEASE, SORRY, and YOU'RE WELCOME • Practice putting polite signs together in order

American Sign Language — ASL for short — is a complete language that uses hands, arms, facial expressions, and body movement instead of spoken words. ASL is NOT a secret code for English. It has its own word order and grammar. For example, in ASL you might sign APPLE RED WANT I instead of I want a red apple. ASL was developed in the early 1800s at the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut — partly from French Sign Language brought by teacher Laurent Clerc. Today it is used by hundreds of thousands of people across the United States and Canada.

The sign for THANK YOU looks like you are offering a kind feeling from your heart to the other person: Step 1: Hold one hand flat, fingers together, palm facing up — like a little plate. Step 2: Touch your fingertips to your chin, just below your lips. Step 3: Move your flat hand forward and slightly downward, away from your face — as if you are offering your gratitude to the other person. That is it! Imagine you are holding warmth in your hand and giving it as a gift. Important: In ASL, your face is part of the message! When you sign THANK YOU, smile warmly. A blank face changes the meaning entirely.

Now that you know THANK YOU, here are three more polite signs: PLEASE: Place your flat hand on your chest, over your heart. Move it in a small gentle circle. It looks like you are asking from the heart! SORRY: Make a fist with one hand. Place it on your chest and move it in a circle — the same motion as PLEASE, but with a closed fist instead of a flat hand. YOU'RE WELCOME: Raise one flat hand near your forehead like a salute, then sweep it forward and slightly down. Some ASL users do it almost like a nodding wave with the hand. Practice all four signs in order: PLEASE, THANK YOU, SORRY, YOU'RE WELCOME. Say the English word quietly as you sign it until the movement feels natural.