Hey signers, today we are focusing on basic questions and responses that you can start
using today. In the first part of this video, we are going to focus on only questions then
later switch to responses. So, be sure to watch the entire video so you get the complete lesson.
Now let's learn about basic questions and responses.
Let's talk about questions.There are two main types of questions in ASL structure,
that being Wh-questions and yes/no questions. With Wh-questions, you're going to take the word who,
what, when, where, why, which, or how the 'Wh' words and put them at the end of the sentence.
Your eyebrows are going to go down when associated with that 'Wh' sentence and also you are going to
lean forward when you're signing that. You'll see that in the examples in just a few minutes.
Now for yes/no questions your eyebrows actually go
up when you're signing and you also lean forward when you ask the question
and again you'll see that here in just a few minutes. ASL also uses rhetorical
questions but in this video we aren't going to cover those. Now let's learn some vocabulary.
'How or how', you're doing the sign how but make sure that your eyebrows
are down because it's a Wh-question, 'how, how'.
'What, what', your '5'-hands are kind of bent in together moving in and out, 'what'. "Where,
where', your index finger is searching like a compass, where's north, 'where'. 'You,
you', you're using your index finger and pointing to you 'you'. 'Name, name',
you've got your two fingers close together and bounce on top of each other 'name'. 'Live,
live', you have 'A' shaped hands moving up against your body because when you're living you're
breathing 'live'. A-S-L or American Sign Language 'ASL'. 'Bathroom, bathroom',
you have a 'T' hand shaking it back and forth like for the signed toilet 'bathroom.' 'Understand,
understand', it's like the light bulb is coming on 'understand'. 'Hearing,
hearing', this is referencing that hearing people talk a lot 'hearing.'
'Learn, learn' you're picking up something and putting it in your head 'learn.'
'Help, help', this used to be the old sign for help like you were helping somebody across the
street and then it changed in to this. You can also do this directionally, helping you,
helping me, or helping everybody, or helping somebody else 'help.'
"Want, want,' you have 'bent-5-hands' bringing it in towards yourself
'want.' Now let's put these signs into sentences. How are you? 'How you?'
What is your name? 'You name what you?'
Where do you live? 'You live where you?'
Are you hearing? 'You hearing you?'
Where is the bathroom? 'Bathroom where?'
Are you learning ASL? 'You ASL learn you?'
Do you understand? 'You understand you?'
Do you want help? 'You help want you?'
ASL grammar is based on topic-comment structure, so when you are giving a response you need to
think just that. Think of the topic of the sentence and how you are going to
comment about that. You're going to see this in the sentences at the end of this section.
'Hearing, hearing', this is referencing that hearing people talk a lot 'hearing.'
'Deaf or Deaf', it can go either way it's just pointing to your mouth and your ear
'Deaf.' 'Hard of hearing, hard of hearing', it's 'Hh' for hard of hearing. 'Yes,
yes', your hand is representing your head nodding 'yes.'
'No, no', it's like the letter 'N' and 'O' put together 'no'. When you use this index finger
you can point it to yourself meaning the sign 'me' but if you point it to somebody else
'you.' If you point it around 'you all,' from your shoulder to your other shoulder
'we or us' or you can index to somebody wherever they are, or if you want to set them up meaning
this person 'it, he, she.' You're going to be using this hand shape
and putting it up to your chest representing the sign 'my' but if you push it out
it can be 'your.' If you go to everybody it could be 'yours', as in a plural yours.
'Ours' comes around from shoulder to shoulder and then you can point it to different people meaning,
'yours, it's, hers, his.' If you're getting value out of this video, subscribe and hit that
like button. It really does help get the word out there about ASL. Now let's get back to it. 'Happy,
happy', your hands are flat and they're on your chest moving up 'happy.'
'Fine, fine', your 5-hand is coming right up to your chest 'fine'.
'So-so, so-so', your hand is flipping back and forth 'so-so.'
'Bad, bad', it's the opposite of good it just flips around 'bad.' 'Bored
bored', it's like you're so bored that you're picking your nose 'bored.' 'Busy
busy', now if you're really busy you go to show you're really busy, 'busy.'
'Confused or confused', you're pointing to your head and showing that something's messed up
'confused, confused.' 'Excited, excited', your feeler fingers are moving up on your chest
'excited.' 'Fine, fine', your '5-hand' is coming right up to your chest 'fine'. 'Good
or well', your dominant hand is coming from your chin down to your non-dominant 'good or well.'
'Tired, tired', it's showing your body slumped over when you're tired
'tired.' 'Mad or angry', your hand is coming in showing how your face is mad or angry,
'mad or angry.' 'Nothing, nothing much', your 'O' hands are shaking back and forth
nothing 'nothing much.' 'Sad, sad', your hands are bringing your sadness down
'sad.' 'Same ole or the usual', you've got 'Y' hand shapes going in circles 'same old or usual.'
'Scared or afraid or terrified', you're putting your body in like you're hiding yourself away
'scared.' 'Sick, sick', when people get sick it's typically with their head and their stomach
'sick.' 'Sleepy, sleepy', it's like your head is nodding off 'sleepy.' Now let's put these signs
into sentences. You might notice these sentences are in direct response to the questions at the
beginning of the video, so look back and forth to see how you would respond to the questions being
given or vice versa. I'm excited. 'Me excited me.' My name is Sarah. 'Me name Sarah me.'
I live in Texas. 'Me live Texas me.' The bathroom is over there. 'Bathroom over there.'
Yes, I am learning ASL. 'Yes, me ASL learn me.'
No, I don't understand. 'No, me don't understand me'.
Yes, you can help me. 'Yes help me.'
Great job! If you want to learn even more about sentence structure for questions,
check out this video. Also, if you're looking for more resources or even courses, check out
our website learnhowtosign.org and until next time keep learning how to sign 🤟🏼