How to Sign Brown in American Sign Language

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), the color brown is signed with a flat "B" handshape. Place the index-finger edge of your hand against your cheek and slide it down toward your jaw in one short movement. This guide covers ASL, which is the sign language most commonly used in the United States. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, use different signs for colors, so this description does not apply to them.

Color or name? Check which "brown" you mean

The sign described here means the color, as in brown hair, a brown dog or brown paint. If you need to sign Brown as a surname, the usual approach is to fingerspell it, letter by letter: B-R-O-W-N. People in Deaf communities may also have a personal name sign, which is given by that community rather than chosen by the person. Using the color sign for someone's last name can confuse the meaning, so fingerspell the name unless you know the person uses a specific name sign.

Step-by-step: signing brown

• 1. Use your dominant hand, the one you write with. Left-handed signers mirror every step on the left side of the face.
• 2. Form the ASL "B" handshape: hold your four fingers straight and pressed together, and fold your thumb across your palm.
• 3. Turn your palm to face outward, away from your face.
• 4. Bring the index-finger edge of your hand to your cheek, near the cheekbone, on the same side as your signing hand.
• 5. Keeping contact with your cheek, slide your hand straight down toward your jawline in a single, smooth movement.
• 6. Lower your hand, or move on to your next sign.

How to check your form

Practicing in front of a mirror lets you compare what you see against these points:

• Handshape: your fingers stay together and straight, and your thumb is tucked across your palm, not sticking out.
• Contact: the side of your index finger touches your cheek, not your palm or fingertips.
• Direction: the movement goes downward along the cheek, not across the face or away from it.
• Rhythm: the sign is one movement, not a repeated rub.

A mirror can confirm that your hand position matches a written description. It cannot tell you whether a fluent signer would read the sign naturally. Feedback from a Deaf signer or a qualified ASL instructor is the most reliable way to confirm that.

Limitations of this guide

No source material specific to this sign was available when this guide was written. The description reflects the widely taught standard form of the ASL sign. ASL has regional and community variation, and a written description cannot fully show movement, speed or facial expression. Before relying on this sign in conversation, compare it with a video in a reputable ASL dictionary or confirm it with a fluent signer. If you are ever unsure, fingerspelling B-R-O-W-N is a clear fallback.