How to ask “who?” in sign language

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), the language most widely used by Deaf communities in the US, there are two common ways to sign WHO. In the first, you rest the thumb of an L-shaped hand on your chin and bend the index finger a couple of times. In the second, you make a small circle with your index finger in front of your lips. Both are made with the hands, and for either one to read as a real question you also need a specific facial expression: your eyebrows drawn down and together.

Which sign language do you need?

Sign language is not universal. ASL, British Sign Language, Auslan, Langue des signes française and many others are separate languages with their own vocabulary, so the sign for “who” differs between them. This guide covers ASL only. If you are talking with someone who uses a different sign language, or a regional variety of ASL, check the local form with that person or with a resource for that language.

How to sign WHO in ASL

Version 1, the L-handshape form:

• Use your dominant hand, the one you write with.
• Form an L: extend your thumb and index finger and curl the other fingers into your palm.
• Place the tip of your thumb on your chin, with the index finger pointing up or slightly to the side.
• Bend the index finger down and back up two or three times, keeping the thumb in contact with your chin.

Version 2, the circling form: extend the index finger of your dominant hand and hold it just in front of your mouth. Trace a small circle near your lips. Many signers round their lips slightly while doing this. Both versions are understood in ASL, and you will see either one depending on the signer and the region.

Use the question face

In ASL, questions that ask who, what, where, when, why or how are marked by facial expression as well as by hand movement. These features are called non-manual markers, meaning grammar carried by the face, head and body rather than the hands. For this type of question, lower and squeeze your eyebrows together and tilt your head slightly forward. Hold the expression for the whole question, or at least through the WHO sign. If your face stays neutral, the sign can look unclear or unfinished. Raising your eyebrows is the marker for yes-or-no questions, so it sends the wrong signal here.

Where WHO goes in a sentence

Question signs such as WHO often come at the end of an ASL sentence, and some signers place them at both the beginning and the end. In written notes, ASL is usually shown in “gloss”: capitalised English words that stand for individual signs. The examples below use gloss and are not English grammar.

YOUR TEACHER WHO?        (Who is your teacher?)
WHO ARRIVE LATE?         (Who arrived late?)
WHO THAT WHO?            (Who is that?)

If you want to ask about a specific person who is present, signers commonly point toward that person and add the WHO sign together with the question face.

How to check you are signing it clearly

• Practise in a mirror, or record yourself with your phone or webcam. Check that your thumb stays on your chin in version 1, or that the circle stays near your mouth in version 2.
• Watch the recording for the question face. Your brows should be visibly lowered while you sign WHO.
• Compare your recording with a video of WHO from a reputable ASL dictionary or a course taught by a Deaf instructor. Look at the handshape, the location, the movement and the facial expression.
• The most reliable check is a fluent signer. If they understand your question without asking you to repeat it, the sign worked.

What this guide can’t show

A written description cannot fully capture movement, speed or facial timing. Local and personal variations also exist beyond the two forms described here. Use this guide as a starting point, then confirm the sign with video and with the people you will actually be signing with.