How to Sign "Afternoon" in ASL

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), the common sign for AFTERNOON represents the sun after midday. Hold your non-dominant arm flat in front of your body. Rest the elbow of your dominant arm on the back of that hand. Tilt your dominant forearm partway down from upright, with your dominant hand flat and palm facing down. Many signers add a small, short downward bounce. This is the widely taught form. Regional and personal variants exist.

Step by step

• 1. Place your non-dominant arm across your body at about waist or chest height. Keep the forearm horizontal and the palm facing down, like the horizon.
• 2. Flatten your dominant hand with the fingers together and the thumb alongside. ASL teachers call this a flat "B" handshape.
• 3. Set the elbow of your dominant arm on the back of your non-dominant hand or wrist.
• 4. Start with your dominant forearm upright, then tilt it forward so it sits partway between upright and flat. Your dominant palm faces down and slightly forward. This is the sun past noon.
• 5. If you use the common movement, bounce the dominant forearm down slightly once or twice from that angled position. Keep the movement small.

If you are left-handed, swap the roles: your left hand does the moving part and your right arm forms the horizon. Use whichever hand you normally lead with, and keep it the same each time.

Ambiguities that change the meaning

What you want to say | What to sign | Watch out for

Afternoon | AFTERNOON as described above | The forearm should be clearly tilted, not upright

Noon or midday | NOON: the same base, but the dominant forearm stands straight up | Leaving your arm upright can read as NOON instead of AFTERNOON

Good afternoon | GOOD followed by AFTERNOON | This is a two-sign phrase, not a single sign

This afternoon or every afternoon | Usually a modified form or added signs | These changes are not described here; check a reliable ASL source

The main thing to get right is the forearm angle. Upright means noon. Tilted down past upright means afternoon. Tilted further toward the horizontal arm moves toward signs related to sunset or evening.

Check the sign on camera

If you plan to use the sign on a video call or record it, check it in your camera's preview before you go live.

• Framing: Your whole signing space should be in view, from the top of your head to below your waist level. A shot of only your face will cut off the horizontal arm.
• Mirroring: Many video apps mirror your own preview. The sign may look flipped to you, but other people usually see it unflipped. Do not switch hands just because the preview looks reversed.
• Background: A plain physical background that contrasts with your skin and clothing makes the arm angle easier to read. Virtual backgrounds and blur effects in call apps can erase or smear moving hands at the edges, so test with the effect off if your hands look patchy.
• Lighting: Light your hands and arms from the front. Strong backlighting from a window can turn your arms into a silhouette and hide the handshape.
• Movement: Keep the bounce small and steady. Fast motion can blur on webcams, especially in low light.

Seeing a picture in your preview only confirms that the app has camera access. It does not confirm that the sign is clear to the people watching. If you can, record a short clip and play it back, or ask someone on the call whether the sign came through clearly.

Limitations of this guide

No verified source, video demonstration or expert review was supplied for this article. The description follows the form commonly taught in ASL. A written description cannot fully capture handshape, movement and facial expression. Before relying on the sign, especially in a class or formal setting, compare it against a reputable ASL video dictionary or ask a Deaf signer or certified ASL instructor. They can also tell you whether a different local variant is used in your area.