TIRED in sign language

ASL sign for TIRED
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This word entry contains ASL signs for "tired", baby signing "tired", and related words.

ASL sign for "tired"

"How do you say 'tired' in American Sign Language?"

Meaning: Definition: in need of sleep or rest; weary.

Pronunciation (sign description): Both half-bent flat hands with its fingertips in contact with the sides of torso "dropped" down without detaching from torso.

Learner tip: Not to confuse this sign with other sign ANIMAL (different movement).

Baby signing "tired"

Babies give cues when they are tired, such as crying, yawning, raising arms, twisting their hands in their eyes, sucking fingers, and so on.

The time-lapse video shows how the ASL-speaking baby acquired the word "tired". Apparently, toddler can understand the concept of being tired a while before they can utter the word whether in manually speaking or vocally speaking.

In the video, the early "unmarked" handshape first emerged as "flat O" long while before the child can form the correct handshape (bent flat handshape). The location is correct, but at this stage, a baby may not able to (linguistically) cross the arms as in LOVE or BEAR until later.

In my language acquisition documentation, the data shows that the ASL word "tired" and "sleep" were acquired during the one-word stage (12-18 months).

The video shows what how the process of language development (phonological acquisition in particular) works in general. Kids develop at different pace. Note that "baby sign language" is cultural appropriation; ASL signs are words, not "baby signs". Based on scientific studies, language development milestones are on the similar timeline for both signing and speech.

Vocabulary

Related signs: Your friend texted you if you want to go out for a sleigh ride tonight. No thanks, you're tired that you need to rest. No more activity or you would become WORN OUT. You experience FATIGUE when you feel unmotivated or have low or no energy. Exercise can help improve your energy. You grow WEARY that you want to quit your job. You are EXHAUSTED when you get home from working 14 hours a day for 14 days at the hospital. You look very JADED; you need a holiday. Ironically, planning a holiday trip SAPPED your energy. On the plane, you are DROWSY or SLEEPY that you try to take a nap.

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.