How to Sign “Mom” in ASL (& Other Family-Related Words)

Sign language is a useful skill for communicating with deaf and hard-of-hearing people, and “mom” is definitely a word that comes up often. Whether you’re learning ASL to communicate with friends, family, colleagues, or just expanding your vocabulary, knowing how to sign everyday words can come in handy. In this article, we explain how to sign “mom” in American Sign Language (ASL) to make the process easy for you, along with other family roles like “father,” “brother,” and “sister.”

A Visual Guide to Signing “Mom” in ASL

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An illustration showing how to sign “mom” in American Sign Language.

Spread the fingers apart on your dominant hand, hold your hand vertically in front of your face, and place the tip of your thumb on your chin. Then, tap your thumb against your chin a couple of times to sign “mom.” To sign “mommy,” wiggle your fingers slightly instead of tapping.

Section 1 of 7:

How to Sign “Mom” in ASL

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Spread your fingers apart, hold your hand vertically, and tap your thumb to your chin. To sign “mom” or “mother,” open your dominant hand so all five fingers are spread wide apart and your thumb is pointing toward your face. Then, tap your thumb against your chin a few times, keeping your fingers outstretched.^{[1]
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- Variations: To sign “mommy,” spread your fingers apart on your dominant hand, hold your hand vertically, place the thumb on your chin, and then wiggle your fingers slightly instead of tapping.

Section 2 of 7:

How to Sign “Father” in ASL

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To sign “father” in ASL, stretch all of your fingers out so that your dominant hand is open and your palm is facing the side, just as you would when signing “mom.” Then, bring your open hand up to the forehead and tap your forehead with your thumb to complete the sign.^{[2]
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Section 3 of 7:

How to Sign “Grandfather” in ASL

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To sign “grandfather” in ASL, stretch your dominant hand out with the palm facing your side and your thumb facing the body, as if you’re signing “dad.” Then, tap your forehead with your thumb the same way you would when signing “dad,” but make a double movement out away from you, like you’re pumping your hand.^{[3]
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Section 4 of 7:

How to Sign “Grandmother” in ASL

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To sign “grandmother,” stretch your dominant hand out with the palm facing the side and the thumb facing the body, as you would with “mom” and “dad.” Then, tap your chin with your thumb like you’re signing for mom. After that, bring your outstretched hand out away from you in a double movement, like you’re pumping your hand out at something.^{[4]
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Section 5 of 7:

How to Sign “Brother” in ASL

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To sign “brother” in ASL, stretch the thumb and index fingers of your dominant hand out into an “L” shape. Then, tap your forehead with your thumb while maintaining the shape. Then, bring the shape down to your other hand and tap it on top of it. Make sure the index fingers of both hands are outstretched while every other finger is balled into a fist.^{[5]
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Section 6 of 7:

How to Sign “Sister” in ASL

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To sign “sister” in ASL, stretch your thumb out and briefly rub it along 1 in (25 mm) of your jawline. Then, stretch out the index finger of the same hand, keep the rest of the fingers balled up, replicate this shape on the opposite hand, and finally tap your dominant hand on top of your other hand.^{[6]
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Section 7 of 7:

Sign Language FAQs

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1
Do I use my right or left hand for signing “mom?” This is sort of a trick question, as one-handed signs are typically done with your dominant hand, rather than one specific hand or the other. So, if your left hand is your dominant hand, you’d use it to sign. If your right hand is dominant, you’d use that to sign.^{[7]
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Is there a difference between male and female signs? The primary difference between male and female signs in American Sign Language is that male signs are often signed above the nose, while female signs are often signed below. For example, mom is signed by tapping the chin (below the nose), while dad is signed by tapping the forehead (above the nose).^{[8]
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- This is great information to remember if you’re looking to learn American Sign Language overall.
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How do you sign “I love you mom” in ASL? First, sign “mom” by spreading the fingers out on your dominant hand, holding your hand vertical to your face, placing the tip of your thumb against your chin, and then tapping the tip of your thumb against your chin twice. Then, cross both arms over your chest with your hands in relaxed fists, like you’re giving yourself a hug and point your index finger directly at your mom.^{[9]
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