How to Sign Feel and Felt in ASL

The Short Answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), FEEL is signed with your dominant hand held open near your chest and your middle finger bent toward your body. The tip of that middle finger touches the center of your chest and brushes upward. To say "felt," you normally use the same sign. ASL usually shows past time through context or a separate time sign, not by changing the verb the way English adds "-ed" or switches to an irregular form.

Two points can change the answer. First, this guide covers ASL, the sign language most widely used in the US. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, have their own vocabulary, so these signs may not match them. Second, the English word "felt" can also mean a fabric. That meaning is unrelated to emotions or touch and does not use the FEEL sign.

How to Sign FEEL Step by Step

• 1. Use your dominant hand, which is the hand you write with.
• 2. Spread your fingers into an open hand, then bend your middle finger forward so it points toward your body. The other fingers and the thumb stay extended. This shape is often called the open-8 handshape.
• 3. Turn your palm toward your chest.
• 4. Place the tip of your bent middle finger lightly on the center of your chest.
• 5. Brush the fingertip upward along your chest in a short, smooth movement.

The bent middle finger is common in ASL signs related to feelings and physical sensation, such as SICK and TOUCH. Knowing this pattern can help you remember the handshape. Some signers make small variations, such as repeating the brushing movement. Those variations are a normal part of how sign languages are used.

How to Express FELT (Past Tense)

ASL verbs generally do not change form for tense. To make it clear that a feeling happened in the past, set the time frame, usually near the start of the sentence, then sign FEEL as usual. You can do this in several ways:

• Use a specific time sign, such as YESTERDAY or LAST-WEEK, before the rest of the sentence.
• Use a general past-time sign, such as PAST or BEFORE, to show that the event already happened.
• Rely on the conversation. If you and the other person have already established that you are discussing the past, a separate time sign may not be needed.

Once you have set a past time frame, the following signs are understood to be in that time until the time frame changes. You do not need to mark each verb.

Facial Expression Matters

The FEEL sign shows that you are talking about a feeling, but your face often shows what kind of feeling it is. Facial expressions and other non-manual markers, such as head movement, are part of ASL grammar and meaning. When you ask "How do you feel?" or say how you felt, let your expression match the meaning. For example, raise or lower your eyebrows as the question requires, or show the emotion you are describing. A specific emotion, such as happy, tired or sick, usually has its own sign that you add.

Felt as a Fabric

If you mean the material, don't use the FEEL sign, because it would suggest emotion or sensation. Fingerspelling F-E-L-T is a common choice for a specific word with no familiar sign. Since no reference source was supplied for this guide, check a reputable ASL dictionary or ask a Deaf signer whether a commonly used sign for the fabric exists in your area.

How to Check Your Sign

Watch yourself in a mirror and check these points:

• Handshape: only the middle finger is bent forward, and the other fingers and thumb stay open.
• Location: the fingertip touches the center of your chest, not your stomach or the side of your chest.
• Movement: the fingertip brushes upward instead of tapping in place or moving down.
• Expression: your face matches the feeling or question you mean to communicate.

A mirror helps you confirm what you can see. It can't confirm that your sign looks natural to fluent signers or matches the local usage of the people you will be signing with. This guide is based on general descriptions of ASL, not on a supplied dictionary or video source. For the most reliable check, compare your sign with a video in a reputable ASL dictionary, or ask a Deaf ASL teacher or fluent signer for feedback.