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 🤟🏼.