"light" ASL American Sign Language

American Sign Language: "light" The concept of "light" has many meanings. Therefore there are many ways to sign "light." "LIGHT" or "LIGHTS-ON" This version of light is for "overhead lighting." This sign is used in such sentences as: "Why do Deaf tend to hang out in the kitchen? Good lighting." animation NOTE: If you use a "double motion" with this sign it means "FLASH the LIGHTS." Flashing the lights is a method of quickly getting the attention of a whole group of people. Getting attention this way should only be done by people familiar with the Deaf Culture. Newbies tend to overdo it. (Flash too many times, too quickly, etc.) FLASH-the-lights: Open the hands, close the hands, and open them again. This is a way to tell someone to flash the overhead lighting off and on a couple times. Sample sentence: TEACHER LIGHTS-FLASH, WHY? (Why does the teacher flash the lights?) The answer to this question is "So that the students will look up and pay attention." LIGHT-device: "The light." "Lights" The general sign for light uses the dominant hand in an "8" handshape under the chin. With the middle finger cocked on the thumb. You flick the middle finger of your dominant hand upward twice so that it "thumps" (lightly) each time on the underside of your chin. This sign can be used in sentences like, "LIGHT BROKE" to mean, "The light bulb is out" if you were talking about an LCD projector or a flashlight. Remember, thump the underside of your chin as if thumping a melon. The middle finger and thumb come apart. Note: the thump is very gentle...you hardly feel it on your chin. Note: at the beginning of the sign the pad of my thumb is on the fingernail of the middle finger. animation BRIGHT (illuminated, clear, obvious) This next version of "light" means "bright (as in well illuminated), obvious, and/or clear (as in both easy to understand and transparent)." animation You could use this version for such things as a table lamp, or perhaps even an "ELMO." (An ELMO is a type of video projector commonly used in distance education classrooms.) animation This version is used for such things as "headlights." animation LIGHT-MATCH: "light a match." To sign "light a match" you'd use this sign: animation rotating/flashing-LIGHTS: This sign could be used to refer to an ambulance. If used in reference to other vehicles it specifically refers to flashing lights ("cherries"). LIGHT-WEIGHT: This sign means "light" as in "doesn't weigh very much. I also use it to mean "light" as in "light blue." You can learn sign language online at American Sign Language (ASL) University ™ Sign language lessons and resources. Dr. William Vicars © Lifeprint.com

American Sign Language: "light"

The concept of "light" has many meanings.
Therefore there are many ways to sign "light."

"LIGHT" or "LIGHTS-ON" This version of light is for "overhead lighting."
This sign is used in such sentences as: "Why do Deaf tend to hang out in the kitchen? Good lighting."

animation

NOTE: If you use a "double motion" with this sign it means "FLASH the LIGHTS."
Flashing the lights is a method of quickly getting the attention of a whole group of people.
Getting attention this way should only be done by people familiar with the Deaf Culture. Newbies tend to overdo it. (Flash too many times, too quickly, etc.)

FLASH-the-lights:

Open the hands, close the hands, and open them again. This is a way to tell someone to flash the overhead lighting off and on a couple times.

Sample sentence:

TEACHER LIGHTS-FLASH, WHY? (Why does the teacher flash the lights?)
The answer to this question is "So that the students will look up and pay attention."

LIGHT-device: "The light." "Lights"
The general sign for light uses the dominant hand in an "8" handshape under the chin. With the middle finger cocked on the thumb. You flick the middle finger of your dominant hand upward twice so that it "thumps" (lightly) each time on the underside of your chin. This sign can be used in sentences like, "LIGHT BROKE" to mean, "The light bulb is out" if you were talking about an LCD projector or a flashlight.
Remember, thump the underside of your chin as if thumping a melon. The middle finger and thumb come apart. Note: the thump is very gentle...you hardly feel it on your chin.
Note: at the beginning of the sign the pad of my thumb is on the fingernail of the middle finger.

animation

BRIGHT (illuminated, clear, obvious)
This next version of "light" means "bright (as in well illuminated), obvious, and/or clear (as in both easy to understand and transparent)."

animation

You could use this version for such things as a table lamp, or perhaps even an "ELMO." (An ELMO is a type of video projector commonly used in distance education classrooms.)

animation

This version is used for such things as "headlights."

animation

LIGHT-MATCH: "light a match."
To sign "light a match" you'd use this sign:

animation

rotating/flashing-LIGHTS:
This sign could be used to refer to an ambulance.
If used in reference to other vehicles it specifically refers to flashing lights ("cherries").

LIGHT-WEIGHT:
This sign means "light" as in "doesn't weigh very much.
I also use it to mean "light" as in "light blue."

You can learn sign language online at American Sign Language (ASL) University ™
Sign language lessons and resources. Dr. William Vicars © Lifeprint.com