REMEMBER in sign language

ASL sign-word for REMEMBER

ASL signs for REMEMBER

How to sign REMEMBER in American Sign Language (and how to remember it).

Definition: to recall or make an effort to keep a person, event or thing in one's mind.

Pronunciation (sign description): Dominant "10" hand (handshape) with the thumb in contact with the temple of the head and the palm facing left if right-handed (location and orientation) moves from the forehead toward the non-dominant "10" handshape's thumb tip.

Etymology: The ASL sign-word REMEMBER originally came from KNOW+CONTINUE which became assimilated into a single production REMEMBER. Ref

Beyond basics

Equivalent to English term: "never-to-be-forgotten", "will never forget".

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Pronunciation (sign description): Thumb tip of dominant hand in contact with side of forehead (where location may slightly vary) firmly twists once with a particular mouth morpheme (pursed lips).

For learners, this ASL sign is more specific rather than generic. What it means that Deaf signers don't use this sign for every "will never forget" in English translation. In some contexts, Deaf signers use the phrase "WILL NEVER FORGET" or "NEVER FORGOT" while they use the other sign that refers to a specific meaning.

Slight variations of mouth morphemes or facial expressions and context may convey whether it's a negative or a positive connotation used by Deaf signers. E.g. "(after explaining a story) That's how I remember!" (positive connotation) or "What he did to me, I'll never forget it!" (negative connotation).

Observer how Deaf people use variants in Deaf community.

Related words

Synonyms: Lisa the Bell Ringer had a very important task to do in the morning. She knew that because she had a string tied to her finger. Only, the bell ringer couldn't RECALL what it was she was supposed to do. She checked her calendar and all her notes to see if anything would JOG her MEMORY, but nothing seemed to work. She knew she tied the string to her finger to REMIND her to do something, but she FORGET what. She went around to everyone in town to ask if they knew what she was having trouble RECOLLECTING, but most of them just told the bell ringer to BEAR IN MIND that they couldn't KEEP TRACK of what they had to do and what she had to do, then they would shoo her away as they were waiting for the bell to ring before they could start their day. Everyone in town, it seemed had their own job, but no one could start until some one rang the bell. She asks just about everyone but nothing RANG ANY BELLS for her. Oh well, she thought as she went home thinking maybe it would COME TO HER later. It never did. It was a weird day, the bell didn't even ring, so nobody in town got anything done. Maybe she finally remembers something on REMEMBRANCE DAY.

Opposite: Never FORGET it again.

First 100 words.

  1. again
  2. also
  3. ask
  4. bad
  5. boy
  6. but
  7. can
  8. come
  9. deaf
  10. different
  11. drink
  12. drive
  13. eat
  14. email
  15. excuse
  16. family
  17. feel
  18. few
  19. find
  20. fine
  21. fingerspell
  22. finish
  23. food
  24. for
  25. forget
  26. friend
  27. get
  28. girl
  29. give
  30. go
  31. good
  32. have, has, had
  33. he
  34. hearing
  35. hello
  36. help
  37. home
  38. how
  39. Internet
  40. know
  41. later
  42. like (feeling)
  43. little
  44. live
  45. man
  46. many
  47. me
  48. meet
  49. more
  50. my
  51. name
  52. need
  53. new
  54. no
  55. not
  56. now
  57. ok, okay
  58. old
  59. other
  60. please
  61. remember
  62. same
  63. say
  64. school
  65. see
  66. she
  67. should
  68. sign, signed word
  69. slow
  70. some
  71. sorry
  72. store
  73. take
  74. tell
  75. text, sms
  76. thank, thank you
  77. their
  78. they
  79. think
  80. time
  81. tired
  82. try
  83. understand
  84. use
  85. wait
  86. want
  87. what
  88. when
  89. where
  90. which
  91. who
  92. why
  93. will
  94. with
  95. woman
  96. work
  97. write
  98. yes
  99. you
  100. your

As you feel more comfortable with the first few hundreds of ASL signs, progress further with your vocabulary and learn signing more.