How to Sign “About” in American Sign Language

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), the common sign for “about,” meaning “concerning” or “on the topic of,” uses both hands. Hold your non-dominant hand with the fingertips bunched together. Then circle the extended index finger of your dominant hand around those fingertips. Your dominant hand is the one you naturally write with. Your non-dominant hand stays mostly still and acts as the base.

This guide covers ASL, the sign language most widely used in the United States. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, are separate languages with their own vocabulary. If you are signing with someone outside the ASL community, don’t assume this sign carries over.

Check which meaning of “about” you need

English uses “about” in several ways, but ASL signs follow meaning rather than English spelling. Choosing the wrong sense can change what you communicate.

English use | Example | What to sign

On the topic of | “The meeting is about the budget.” | The ABOUT sign described in this guide

Approximately | “About ten people came.” | A different sign, often glossed as APPROXIMATELY or ROUGHLY. It is commonly made with a small circular movement of an open hand, but confirm it from a reliable video source before use.

About to, meaning soon | “I’m about to leave.” | Not the ABOUT sign. ASL usually expresses this idea with other signs or with context and timing.

Around, physically | “Walking about the room” | Usually shown through movement and placement rather than a single ABOUT sign

How to form the sign, step by step

• 1. Shape your non-dominant hand into a flattened O. Bring all four fingertips together against the thumb so the fingers form a bundle. The fingertips should point toward your dominant side, roughly in front of your chest.
• 2. Extend the index finger of your dominant hand and curl the other fingers in, like pointing.
• 3. Bring your dominant index finger close to the bundled fingertips of your other hand.
• 4. Move the index finger in a small circle around those fingertips. One or two circles is typical.
• 5. Keep your non-dominant hand steady while your dominant hand moves.

How to tell whether you’re forming it correctly

• Your non-dominant fingertips are gathered together, not spread apart or held flat.
• The circling motion goes around the fingertips, not around the wrist or the whole hand.
• The circle is small and controlled, not a large sweeping loop.
• Only your dominant hand moves. The base hand stays in place.
• Both hands sit in the space in front of your upper body, where a viewer can see them clearly.

These checks confirm that your hand shapes and movement match the standard description. They can’t confirm how a fluent signer will read the sign in a real conversation, where speed, facial expression and sentence context also matter. Watching a recorded demonstration from a reputable ASL dictionary helps. Getting feedback from a Deaf signer or a qualified ASL instructor is the most reliable check.

Limitations of this guide

No source material was supplied for this article, so the description above reflects the commonly taught form of the sign rather than a cited dictionary entry. Signs can vary by region, age group and community, and a written description can’t fully capture movement. Before relying on the sign in an important conversation, confirm it against a video from an established ASL resource or with a fluent signer.