How to Sign “Both” in ASL

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), the common sign for BOTH uses two hands. Your dominant hand makes a V shape, with the index and middle fingers extended and spread. It passes downward through your other hand, which is loosely curved like the letter C. As the V moves through, the two fingers close together. The sign shows two separate things being brought together as one pair.

Step by step

• 1. Hold your non-dominant hand in front of your chest in a loose C shape, curled as if gripping a thick tube, with the opening facing up.
• 2. Form a V with your dominant hand: index and middle fingers extended and spread, other fingers folded, palm facing you.
• 3. Place the V above the C hand, fingertips pointing up.
• 4. Pull the V straight down through the opening of the C hand.
• 5. As the fingers pass through, let them close together so they end side by side.
• 6. Keep the motion smooth and do it once.

If you are left-handed, mirror the sign: the left hand makes the V and the right hand makes the C. Use whichever hand you normally sign with as the dominant hand, and keep that choice consistent.

When “both” means “both of us” or “both of them”

The two-handed sign above is the general form of BOTH. When English uses “both” to mean two specific people, ASL often expresses it differently, and that choice changes how natural your signing looks.

• Both of us (you and me): use a single V or 2 handshape, palm up, and move it back and forth between yourself and the person you are talking to. The sign combines the number two with the people involved.
• Both of them: point to or set up two locations in the space in front of you for the two people, then move the same handshape between those locations.
• Both as a general word (“I like both”, “both options”): the two-handed V-through-C sign works well.

Facial expression and context also carry meaning in ASL. A neutral face suits a plain statement. If you are asking a question, use the matching facial grammar, such as raised eyebrows for yes/no questions.

Checking your sign on camera

If you are practicing for a video call or recording yourself, framing affects whether the sign is readable. ASL uses the space from roughly the top of the head to the waist, and BOTH is made in front of the chest, so a tight face-only shot can cut off the movement.

• Frame yourself from head to at least mid-torso, with some space on each side for your hands.
• Light your hands and face from the front. Strong backlighting from a window behind you can turn your fingers into silhouettes.
• Choose a plain background that contrasts with your skin tone, so your hands stand out. Busy physical backgrounds and virtual background effects can make finger shapes harder to see. Virtual effects can also blur or clip fast-moving hands at the edges.
• Record a short clip and play it back. Your camera preview showing an image is not the same as a recording that clearly captures the movement. Check that the V is visible, the downward pass is clear, and the fingers close at the end.
• Remember that many camera previews are mirrored. What looks like your left hand in the preview may appear correctly to the other person.

Limits of this guide

This guide describes the widely taught dictionary form of BOTH and a common way ASL handles “both of us.” No video references or regional data were available for it. ASL has regional and community variation, and a written description can’t fully show the timing and handshapes. To confirm your form, compare your recording with the video entry in a reputable ASL dictionary, or ask a Deaf signer or certified ASL instructor for feedback.