How to Sign Thank You in Sign Language
Learn how to sign 'thank you' in ASL. Touch your flat fingertips to your chin, then move the hand forward and down toward the person. Step-by-step guide.
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Quick answer
To sign 'thank you' in ASL, hold a flat hand with fingers together, touch your fingertips to your chin or lips, then move your hand forward and slightly down toward the person you are thanking. It looks like blowing a kiss outward and clearly conveys gratitude.
How to Sign Thank You in Sign Language
“Thank you” is one of the most useful and gracious signs in American Sign Language (ASL). To make it, hold a flat hand with your fingers together, touch your fingertips to your chin or lips, and then move your hand forward and slightly downward toward the person you are thanking. The gesture looks almost exactly like blowing a kiss, and it reads instantly as gratitude.
It is a single, fluid movement. The starting point at the mouth links the sign visually to speech and warmth, and extending the hand toward the other person “gives” the thanks to them.
Step-by-Step: Signing Thank You
| Step | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 1. Handshape | Flatten your dominant hand, fingers together and straight (a “B” hand). |
| 2. Palm orientation | Turn the palm to face you. |
| 3. Starting location | Touch your fingertips to your chin or lower lip. |
| 4. Movement | Move the hand forward and gently down, away from your face. |
| 5. Ending position | The palm ends angled upward, extended toward the person. |
Keep the motion smooth and single. There is no need to touch the chin more than once.
Thank You vs. Thank You Very Much
To intensify the sign into “thank you very much,” signers add emphasis or use both hands.
| Phrase | How It’s Made |
|---|---|
| Thank you | One flat hand from chin, moving outward |
| Thank you very much | Both flat hands from the chin, moving outward together, or a larger, slower single-hand motion |
| Thank you so much | Add a sincere facial expression and a slightly bigger forward motion |
Facial expression matters in ASL grammar. A warm, genuine face naturally amplifies “thank you” into “thank you very much” without changing the handshape.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Starting the hand too low. The fingertips should begin at the chin or lips, not the chest. Starting at the chest can blur the meaning.
- Curling the fingers. Keep all four fingers flat and together. Spread or bent fingers obscure the sign.
- Moving the hand toward yourself. The motion goes outward to the person — pulling inward is incorrect and resembles a different sign.
- Confusing it with “good.” Both begin similarly; for “thank you,” direct the motion toward the person being thanked.
Thank You Across Sign Languages
Different signed languages have their own gestures for gratitude, just as spoken languages differ.
| Sign Language | Approach |
|---|---|
| American (ASL) | Flat hand from chin, moving forward |
| British (BSL) | Flat hand from chin or lips, moving outward (similar look) |
| Australian (Auslan) | Related to BSL; comparable chin-to-out motion |
| French (LSF) | Distinct vocabulary with its own gesture for “merci” |
Related Signs to Learn Next
Pairing “thank you” with these signs lets you hold a polite exchange:
- PLEASE — a flat hand circling on the chest.
- YOU’RE WELCOME — a flat hand moving outward, or the WELCOME sweep.
- SORRY — a fist circling on the chest.
- GOOD — a flat hand from the chin into the opposite palm.
- NICE / MEET YOU — a flat hand sliding across the open non-dominant palm.
Practice “thank you” until the chin-to-outward motion feels natural; it is among the first signs most learners master and one you will use constantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you sign 'thank you' in ASL?
Place a flat hand with your fingers together and palm facing you near your lips or chin, with your fingertips touching your chin. Then move your hand forward and down toward the person, keeping the palm angled up. The motion resembles blowing a kiss and means 'thank you.'
Do you use one hand or two to sign 'thank you'?
The standard ASL sign for 'thank you' uses one flat hand, usually your dominant hand. To sign 'thank you very much' or to thank a group, some signers use both hands moving outward together for emphasis, but one hand is correct and complete on its own.
What is the difference between 'thank you' and 'good' in sign language?
The signs are very similar — both start with a flat hand at the chin moving outward. 'Good' typically lands in the open non-dominant palm or moves straight down, while 'thank you' moves forward toward the person being thanked. Context and direction distinguish them.
How do you sign 'you're welcome' after 'thank you'?
'You're welcome' in ASL is often signed the same way as 'thank you' — a flat hand moving outward from the chin — with the direction and context showing it is a response. Some signers use the WELCOME sign instead, sweeping an open palm inward toward the body.
Can 'thank you' be signed with the palm facing down?
No. The palm should face you or angle upward as the hand moves forward. Signing with the palm facing down changes the look of the sign and can be misread. Keep the fingers flat and together, palm toward your face at the start.