How to Sign "Drink" in American Sign Language

In American Sign Language (ASL), you sign "drink" by shaping your dominant hand as if it is holding a cup and tipping it toward your mouth, as though you are taking a sip. The sign is iconic, meaning it looks like the action it describes, which makes it one of the easier signs to learn and remember.

Which sign language this covers

There is no single universal sign language. This guide describes ASL, the sign language most widely used in the United States and parts of Canada. British Sign Language, Auslan and other sign languages are separate languages with their own vocabulary. Many of them also use a cup-like gesture for "drink," but the details can differ, so check with a source specific to the language you are learning.

Step by step: the ASL sign for drink

• 1. Use your dominant hand (right if you are right-handed, left if you are left-handed).
• 2. Form a C handshape: curve your fingers together and curve your thumb opposite them, as if you are loosely holding a cup or glass.
• 3. Hold the hand in front of your chin with the opening of the C facing sideways, toward your non-dominant side.
• 4. Move the hand toward your mouth while tipping it upward, the way you would tilt a cup to drink from it.
• 5. Stop just at or near your lips. You do not need to press your hand against your mouth.

How to tell you are doing it right

• Your hand looks like it is holding an invisible cup, not a closed fist and not a flat hand.
• The C stays curved throughout the movement.
• The tilt goes toward your mouth, ending near the lips.
• The motion is relaxed and natural, similar to actually taking a sip.
• Watching yourself in a mirror, the gesture should read clearly as drinking from a cup even to someone who does not sign.

A mirror check confirms that the handshape and direction look right, but it cannot confirm finer points such as speed, size of movement or the facial expression a fluent signer would expect. Comparing your sign against a video demonstration by a Deaf signer or ASL instructor, or getting feedback from one, is the most reliable way to confirm it.

"Drink" as an action vs. "a drink"

ASL often distinguishes related nouns and verbs through movement. The verb (to drink) is typically signed with a single tipping motion. The noun (a drink or a beverage) is commonly signed with a shorter, repeated motion. Signers vary, and context usually makes the meaning clear, but using a single motion for the action and a small double motion for the thing is a widely taught pattern.

Asking someone if they want a drink

Facial expression is part of ASL grammar, not just emotion. For a yes-or-no question such as "Do you want a drink?", raise your eyebrows and lean your head slightly forward while signing. Without that expression, the same signs can read as a statement rather than a question.

Common mistakes

• Closing the hand into a fist instead of keeping the curved C shape.
• Moving the hand straight toward the mouth without the upward tilt.
• Using the non-dominant hand inconsistently; pick one dominant hand and stay with it.
• Making the motion large or exaggerated; a natural, sip-sized movement is enough.
• Assuming the same sign covers every beverage.

Specific drinks have their own signs

The general DRINK sign works for drinking in general, but many beverages have separate signs. For example, WATER in ASL is commonly signed by tapping the index finger of a W handshape (index, middle and ring fingers extended) against the chin. Drinking alcohol is often expressed with a different sign from the general one, and signs for specific beverages can vary by region and community. If you need the sign for a particular drink, look it up specifically rather than relying on the general sign.

Limitations of learning from text

Written descriptions can explain handshape and direction, but movement, rhythm and facial grammar are much easier to learn by watching. Treat this guide as a starting point, and confirm your signing with video demonstrations from Deaf signers, an ASL class or a qualified instructor, especially if you will be signing with Deaf people in real conversations.