WANT in sign language

So, you want to learn American Sign Language? Whether it's one's first language or second language, the word "want" is definitely one of the first words to learn.

ASL sign for "want"

It's good to know how to sign "want" in American Sign Language (ASL).

Meaning: To have a desire to possess or do (something); wish for.

Pronunciation (sign description): Two-handed "loose-5" held in mid-space, palms up, drawn backward at the same time the handshape of the hands forms into the "claw" shape.

Usage: Pretty much anything when you mean "want".

Beyond basics

You may notice some Deaf signers inflecting "want" to convey a synonym, such as "really want", "want so badly", "wanna?" and such. And, even the opposite NOT-WANT.

Toddler signing "want"

Can't imagine a toddler without the word "want" in their core of vocabulary in any language. There were so many video clips that I had to cut down a number of them.

The bilingual ASL-speaking toddler "Juli" began to use "want" a lot during the second and third years, like most toddlers. At age 2;1, she wanted to tell me something she wanted and then immediately turned her head around so that she couldn't see me say "no". Notice the one-handed version at age 2;5. Also notice how she used the classifier for the car to describe the direction. At age 2;8, she emphasized when signing "want". At age 3;1, she didn't want to use the baby grocery cart. Rather, she wanted to ride in the regular cart instead. Big girl, ha.

Vocabulary

Related signs: DESIRE, CRAVE, NEED, WISH, LONG FOR, YEARN.

Usage/Grammar

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Written ASL

[Note: ASL writing is not an official standard. This sign language writing remains in a state of open space to allow room for experiment, evolution, and improvement.]

ASL writing for WANT

Contributed by ASLwrite.

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Search Tips and Pointers

Search/Filter: Enter a keyword in the filter/search box to see a list of available words with the "All" selection. Click on the page number if needed. Click on the blue link to look up the word. For best result, enter a partial word to see variations of the word.

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Alphabetical letters: It's useful for 1) a single-letter word (such as A, B, etc.) and 2) very short words (e.g. "to", "he", etc.) to narrow down the words and pages in the list.

For best result, enter a short word in the search box, then select the alphetical letter (and page number if needed), and click on the blue link.

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Don't forget to click "All" back when you search another word with a different initial letter.

If you cannot find (perhaps overlook) a word but you can still see a list of links, then keep looking until the links disappear! Sharpening your eye or maybe refine your alphabetical index skill. :)

Add a Word: This dictionary is not exhaustive; ASL signs are constantly added to the dictionary. If you don't find a word/sign, you can send your request (only if a single link doesn't show in the result).

Videos: The first video may be NOT the answer you're looking for. There are several signs for different meanings, contexts, and/or variations. Browsing all the way down to the next search box is highly recommended.

Video speed: Signing too fast in the videos? See HELP in the footer.

ASL has its own grammar and structure in sentences that works differently from English. For plurals, verb inflections, word order, etc., learn grammar in the "ASL Learn" section. For search in the dictionary, use the present-time verbs and base words. If you look for "said", look up the word "say". Likewise, if you look for an adjective word, try the noun or vice versa. E.g. The ASL signs for French and France are the same. If you look for a plural word, use a singular word.