How to Sign “Body” in ASL

The short answer

The sign commonly taught for BODY, meaning the physical body, uses both flat hands. You touch your upper chest, then move both hands down and touch your lower torso near your stomach or waist. You are touching your own body to show the word.

Step by step

• 1. Make a flat hand with each hand: fingers straight and together, thumb resting along the side. In ASL this is called a B handshape.
• 2. Turn both palms toward your body.
• 3. Place both hands lightly on your upper chest.
• 4. Move both hands down and touch your lower torso, around the stomach or waist.
• 5. Keep the movement small and relaxed. The touches are light contacts, not pats or slaps.

Make sure this is the “body” you mean

This sign covers the physical human body. Other English uses of “body” do not translate word for word. Examples include “somebody,” “anybody” and “nobody,” the body of an email or document, and a body of water. ASL usually expresses these with different signs or phrasing. The material behind this guide does not confirm which signs are used for them. Ask a fluent signer or check an ASL video dictionary before using the chest-to-waist sign for those meanings.

Checking the sign on a video call

The sign reaches down to your waist, so a typical head-and-shoulders webcam frame can cut off the second touch. Before a call, check the framing:

• 1. Open your camera preview in the call app or your system camera app.
• 2. Sit farther back, or lower or tilt the camera, until the frame shows from just above your head to below your waist.
• 3. Record a short clip of yourself signing BODY and play it back. Confirm that both touches are visible and your hands are not blurred or cropped.
• 4. On a live call, ask the other person whether they can see the full sign.

These checks test different things. If the camera preview appears, the app has camera access and is capturing video. That does not mean the other person sees smooth motion. A weak connection can make fast hand movements choppy for them even when your preview looks fine.

Your background also affects how clearly your hands show up. A plain physical background that contrasts with your skin and clothing makes them easier to see. Virtual background and blur effects in call apps use software to separate you from your surroundings, and they can sometimes clip or smear moving hands. If your hands look patchy in the preview, try turning the effect off.

Limits of a written description

No source was supplied for this guide, so the description above is the commonly taught form, not a verified reference. Signs can also vary by region and by signer, and text cannot fully show movement, rhythm or facial expression. To be sure you have it right, compare your signing with an ASL video dictionary or ask a Deaf or fluent ASL signer.