How to Sign "Forget" in American Sign Language

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), FORGET is commonly signed with your dominant hand. Hold it open and flat across your forehead with the palm facing you. Then wipe it across toward the side of your dominant hand, closing it into a loose fist as it leaves your head. The motion is often described as wiping a thought out of your mind.

This guide covers ASL, the sign language most widely used in the United States. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, are separate languages with their own vocabulary. Don't assume this description applies to them.

Step by step

• 1. Choose your dominant hand, usually the one you write with.
• 2. Open that hand flat with the fingers together. Turn the palm toward your forehead so the fingertips point toward your non-dominant side.
• 3. Place the hand on or just in front of your forehead, starting on the non-dominant side.
• 4. Slide the hand across your forehead toward your dominant side.
• 5. As the hand reaches the side of your head, curl the fingers into an "A" handshape. In an A handshape, the fingers fold into the palm and the thumb rests along the side of the index finger. Move the hand slightly away from your head as it closes.
• 6. Make the whole sign as one smooth movement, without pausing between the wipe and the closing.

"Forget" or "forgot"?

ASL generally does not add endings to verbs to mark past tense the way English does. The same FORGET sign usually covers both "forget" and "forgot." Time is shown through context or by adding a separate time sign, such as one meaning "yesterday" or "earlier."

Facial expression and body language are part of ASL grammar, not just decoration. When someone signs that they forgot something, an expression that fits the meaning usually accompanies the sign. Examples include a slight wince or an apologetic look. Signing with a completely blank face can look flat or unclear.

If you are left-handed

Left-handed signers normally mirror the sign. They start on the right side of the forehead and wipe toward the left, closing the left hand at the end. What matters is staying consistent with your own dominant hand, not matching the direction of a right-handed signer.

Common mistakes

• Wiping in the wrong direction. The hand should travel toward your dominant side, not away from it.
• Starting with a closed or curved hand. The sign begins flat and open, and only closes at the end.
• Forgetting to close the hand. Ending with the hand still open leaves the sign incomplete.
• Signing too low. The sign belongs at the forehead, not at eye or cheek level. Location is one of the features that distinguishes signs from each other.

Checking your form with a mirror or camera

Practicing in front of a mirror or recording a short video lets you check your handshape, starting position, direction and the closing at the end. Compare each against the steps above.

Watch for one camera quirk. Many video-calling and camera apps mirror the self-view preview by default, so your dominant hand appears on the opposite side of the screen. The person on the other end of a call typically sees an unmirrored image. When you judge direction, go by what your hand is physically doing, not by which side of the screen it appears on. For signing on a call, also keep your forehead and both sides of your head inside the frame so the full wipe is visible.

A mirror or recording confirms that you're making the movements you intend. It can't tell you whether a fluent signer would read the sign as natural, or whether your timing and expression fit the sentence.

Limitations of this guide

No dictionary entry, video or other source material was supplied for this article. The description reflects the form of FORGET that is commonly taught in ASL. Regional and individual variations exist. Before relying on the sign, confirm it by watching a fluent Deaf signer, checking a reputable ASL dictionary video, or asking an ASL instructor. They can also correct details that are hard to convey in writing, such as movement speed and facial expression.