How to Sign Colors in Sign Language
Learn how to sign colors in ASL. Many colors are fingerspelled initialized signs shaken near the chin. Step-by-step guide to red, blue, green, yellow and more.
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Quick answer
In ASL, the generic sign COLOR wiggles the four fingers of an open hand in front of your chin. Most individual colors are initialized signs that use the fingerspelled first letter shaken near the chin or in neutral space — for example, the Y handshape shaken for yellow and the B handshape shaken for blue.
How to Sign Colors in Sign Language
Colors are a fun, practical category to learn in American Sign Language (ASL). The generic sign COLOR wiggles the four fingers of an open hand near your chin. From there, most individual colors are initialized signs — they use the fingerspelled first letter of the English word, shaken or twisted near the chin or in neutral space. A few common colors, like red, black, and white, break this pattern with their own unique forms tied to a body location.
Learning colors early gives you a versatile vocabulary for describing the world, and the initialized pattern makes many of them easy to remember.
Step-by-Step: The Most Common Colors
| Color | Handshape | Location & Movement |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Index finger | Brush down across the lips once or twice |
| Blue | B handshape | Shake/twist in neutral space near the chest |
| Green | G handshape | Shake/twist in neutral space |
| Yellow | Y handshape | Shake/twist in neutral space |
| Purple | P handshape | Shake/twist in neutral space |
| Orange | C-to-S squeeze | Squeeze at the chin, like squeezing an orange |
| Black | Index finger | Draw across the forehead/brow |
| White | Open hand to flattened-O | Pull outward from the chest, drawing fingers together |
| Pink | P handshape | Brush down across the lips (like red, but P) |
| Brown | B handshape | Slide down the cheek |
Each initialized color (blue, green, yellow, purple) is simply that letter’s handshape given a small shaking or twisting motion.
Why Some Colors Are Initialized and Others Aren’t
ASL blends two systems for colors. Understanding the logic helps you remember them.
| Type | Examples | How It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Initialized | Blue, green, yellow, purple | First letter handshape, shaken |
| Body-based | Red (lips), black (brow), white (chest) | Tied to a meaningful location |
| Hybrid | Pink, brown | Letter handshape at a body location |
Red brushes the lips because lips are reddish; black traces the dark brow; pink uses the P handshape but at the lips like red. These visual roots make the signs memorable.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Mixing up red and pink. Both brush the lips, but red uses the index finger and pink uses the P handshape.
- Forgetting the shake. Initialized colors need a small shaking or twisting motion to register as colors, not just letters.
- Confusing black and brown. Black draws across the brow; brown (a B handshape) slides down the cheek.
- Signing white with the wrong motion. White pulls outward from the chest while drawing the fingers into a flattened-O.
Colors Across Sign Languages
Because many color signs are initialized from the spoken word, they differ across the world’s independent sign languages.
| Sign Language | Approach |
|---|---|
| American (ASL) | Mix of initialized and body-based color signs |
| British (BSL) | Its own color vocabulary, often initialized from English differently |
| Australian (Auslan) | Related to BSL; distinct from ASL |
| French (LSF) | Initialized from French color words |
Related Signs to Learn Next
Colors connect naturally to these descriptive and everyday signs:
- COLOR — wiggle four fingers of an open hand at the chin.
- RAINBOW — a colorful arc traced across the sky with spread fingers.
- LIGHT / DARK — useful modifiers for shades.
- BEAUTIFUL — a circling open hand around the face.
- NUMBERS 1-10 — pair with colors to describe quantities of objects.
With the initialized pattern in mind, you can build a full palette of color signs quickly — a colorful, practical step forward in your ASL learning.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you sign 'color' in ASL?
To sign the general word COLOR, hold an open hand near your chin with the palm facing you and wiggle all four fingers. This generic sign refers to color as a concept. Specific colors like red, blue, and green each have their own distinct signs.
How do you sign 'red' in ASL?
To sign RED, extend your index finger and brush it downward across your lips once or twice. The lips are reddish, which is the visual logic behind the sign. RED is one of the few color signs based on a body location rather than an initialized handshape.
Which colors are 'initialized' signs in ASL?
Many colors are initialized, meaning they use the fingerspelled first letter of the English word shaken in place. Blue uses a B handshape, yellow a Y, green a G, and purple a P, each twisted or shaken near the chin or in neutral space. Red, black, and white are exceptions with their own signs.
How do you sign 'black' and 'white' in ASL?
For BLACK, draw your index finger across your forehead, along the brow. For WHITE, place an open hand on your chest and pull it outward while drawing the fingers together into a flattened-O. Neither is initialized; both have their own unique signs.
Are color signs the same in every sign language?
No. Color signs vary across the world's independent sign languages because many are initialized using the first letter of the word in that country's spoken language. BSL, Auslan, and LSF each have their own color vocabulary distinct from ASL.