ASL LOVE
🤟 How to sign
To sign "Dinner" in American Sign Language (ASL), combine the signs for "eat" and "night" by first bringing your fingertips to your mouth, then placing your dominant hand over your non-dominant arm to represent the evening meal.
📖 Word definition
The main meal of the day, typically eaten in the evening; a formal meal in honor of a person or event.
🎯 Detailed Hand Movement Guide
- Hand Shape: Start with fingertips together (eating motion), then flat hand for "night" portion.
- Starting Position: Fingertips near mouth for "eat," then transition to arms crossed position.
- Movement: Tap fingertips to mouth, then place dominant flat hand over non-dominant forearm.
- Path: Direct movement from mouth down to arm crossing position.
- Hand Orientation: Fingertips toward mouth, then flat hand palm down over forearm.
- Facial Expression: Pleasant expression suggesting enjoyment of the evening meal.
⚠️ Common Mistakes & What to Avoid
❌ Only signing "eat": Must include "night" component to specify dinner.
❌ Wrong hand position: Flat hand should rest on forearm, not wrist.
❌ Rushing the sign: Take time to clearly show both "eat" and "night" components.
❌ Incorrect mouth movement: Don't exaggerate chewing motion during "eat" portion.
💬 Common Sentence Examples
"We eat dinner together."
How to sign: Sign "we" (index finger moves from self to others) → sign "eat" (fingertips to mouth) → sign "dinner" (eat + night combination) → sign "together" (fists come together).
"Dinner is ready now."
How to sign: Sign "dinner" (eat + night) → sign "ready" (R hands move side to side) → sign "now" (Y hands drop down sharply).
"What's for dinner tonight?"
How to sign: Sign "what" (index finger wiggles) → sign "for" (index finger touches forehead then points forward) → sign "dinner" → sign "tonight" (night + now combination).