DAY in sign language

This word entry contains ASL signs for "day", related vocabulary, numeral incorporation for number of days, and culture notes.

ASL sign for 'day'

"What is the sign for 'day' in American Sign Language?"

Meaning: The period of light between dawn and nightfall; the interval from sunrise to sunset.

Pronunciation (sign description): Dominant upright "1" handshape (index finger) is held up in neutral space while the dominant elbow rests on the non-dominant palm-down hand. The dominant hand moves toward the non-dominant arm while the dominant elbow stays on the non-dominant hand.

Related signs

Vocabulary: DAILY, MIDDAY, NOON, DAYTIME, TOMORROW, YESTERDAY.

Opposite: NIGHT.

"Day" phrases

Meaning: all day; lasting or available throughout the day; full day.

Pronunciation (sign description): Watch out for the handshape ("B") which is not the same as the regular single word DAY (with "1" handshape).

Numeral incorporation for numbers of days

Instead of uttering two ASL words (number + "day"), there are single ASL words for the number of days between one and nine.

Meaning: two days.

This one sign TWO-DAY is an example of numeral incorporation.

This ASL signword TWO+DAY contains two regular ASL words without numeral incorporation.

three days

Meaning: Three days.

The single signed word THREE-DAY above consists of a numeral incorporation originally from the two-word signs shown below.

A two-word phrase: THREE + DAY.

three days

Meaning: four days.

Numeral incorporation.

five day

Meaning: five days.

The sign above uses numeral incorporation based on the two words below. That is, FIVE-DAY as one signed word above vs FIVE+DAY as two signed words below.

six days

Meaning: six days.

This ASL sign/word SIX-DAYS uses numeral incorporation which incorporates two individuals (SIX and DAY) into a single sign.

And so on.

Meaning: ten days.

Then, from ten on, you use two ASL signwords: NUMBER and DAY.

Did you know that...

On December 19th, 2017, the United Nations declared September 23rd as International Day of Sign Languages.

The chosen date of September 23 is based on the date when the WFD (World Federation of the Deaf) was established in 1951.

This day marks the birth of an advocacy organisation, which has as one of its main goals, the preservation of sign languages and Deaf culture as pre-requisites to the realisation of the human rights of deaf people." -- www.un.org

Days of the week

Vocabulary: MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY.

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.