How to sign “busy”

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), a widely taught form of BUSY uses both hands. Hold your non-dominant hand in a loose fist, palm down. Form a flat B handshape with your dominant hand, with the fingers together, the thumb folded against the palm, and the palm facing outward. Then rub the wrist or heel of your dominant hand back and forth across the back of your non-dominant wrist in short, repeated strokes. Some signers brush the little-finger edge of the B hand across the back of the non-dominant hand instead of the wrist.

This guide was written without a supplied dictionary or video reference to confirm the exact form. Before you rely on it, check it against a reputable ASL video dictionary or with a fluent Deaf signer.

Details that change the meaning

• Which sign language: The form above is ASL, which is used mainly in the US and parts of Canada. British Sign Language (BSL), Auslan and other sign languages are separate languages and use their own signs for busy.
• Which sense of busy: The sign above means being occupied, as in having a lot to do. Other uses of the English word may be expressed differently, such as a busy phone line, a crowded place or a room that is in use. Ask a fluent signer how they would express the situation you have in mind.
• Regional and personal variation: ASL varies by region, community and generation. You may see slightly different handshapes, contact points or movements, and they are not necessarily wrong.
• Facial expression: In ASL, facial expression is part of the grammar, not decoration. A strained or harried expression with a faster, more intense movement can suggest very busy. A neutral face gives a plainer statement.

Step by step

• 1. Hold your non-dominant hand in front of your body at about waist to lower-chest height. Make a loose fist, palm facing down.
• 2. Shape your dominant hand into a B: fingers straight and together, thumb tucked across the palm.
• 3. Turn the dominant palm so it faces outward, away from you.
• 4. Bring the wrist or heel of the B hand onto the back of your non-dominant wrist.
• 5. Move the dominant hand side to side in a few small, quick brushes, keeping contact with the wrist.
• 6. Add a facial expression that matches the degree of busy you want to convey.

How to check that you are signing it correctly

Practise in front of a mirror and compare your handshape, palm direction, point of contact and movement with a video demonstration. Watching yourself confirms that you are copying the form you see. It does not confirm that the form is the one used in your local signing community, or that it fits your sentence. Only feedback from a fluent signer, such as an ASL teacher or a Deaf community member, can confirm those.

Common mistakes

• Keeping the dominant hand stiff and still instead of using a short, repeated brushing motion.
• Turning the dominant palm toward yourself instead of outward.
• Spreading the fingers instead of keeping them together in a B handshape.
• Signing with a blank face when the situation calls for an expression that shows how busy you are.
• Assuming that the ASL sign works in other sign languages.