How to Sign "From" in American Sign Language

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), you sign "from" with both index fingers. Your non-dominant index finger points up as a fixed reference point. Your dominant index finger starts touching it, then pulls back toward you and bends into a hook. The movement shows something leaving a starting point, which is what "from" means.

This guide covers ASL, the sign language most widely used in the United States. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, use their own vocabulary. The ASL sign may not be understood elsewhere, so if you are learning a different sign language, check the sign for that language.

Terms used in this guide

• Dominant hand: the hand you write with. It makes the main movement.
• Non-dominant hand: your other hand. In this sign it stays still. If you are left-handed, swap the hands in every step below.
• X handshape: the index finger crooked into a hook, with the other fingers closed and the thumb tucked in.

Step by step

• 1. Raise your non-dominant hand in front of your chest. Point the index finger straight up and close the other fingers.
• 2. Extend your dominant index finger and point it toward your raised finger. Touch it lightly, or nearly touch it.
• 3. Pull your dominant hand back toward your body in one short, smooth motion.
• 4. As your hand moves back, crook the dominant index finger into the X handshape.
• 5. Keep your non-dominant hand still throughout. Only the dominant hand moves.

Don't confuse it with "to"

The ASL sign for "to" uses the same two index fingers but moves the other way. Your dominant index finger moves toward the raised finger and touches its tip. For "from", you start at the raised finger and move away from it while hooking your finger. If your finger travels toward the raised finger, you are signing "to".

Using it in "Where are you from?"

This is the most common place learners use the sign. A typical ASL ordering is YOU FROM WHERE, with the question word at the end. Questions that ask who, what, where, when or why usually come with lowered, drawn-together eyebrows. Those eyebrows are part of the grammar. Without them, the sentence can look less clearly like a question.

How to check that you're signing it correctly

Sign slowly in front of a mirror or your camera preview and check each point below. Be aware that many camera apps and video-call previews show a mirrored image of you. That changes what you see, not how you sign, so don't try to correct for it.

• Your non-dominant index finger stays upright and doesn't move.
• Your dominant hand starts at or touching the raised finger, not away from it.
• The movement goes back toward your body, not forward.
• Your dominant index finger ends hooked, not straight.
• In a question, your eyebrows lower on the question word.

A mirror check confirms that your hands match the description. It cannot tell you whether your movement looks natural to fluent signers, or whether a local variant is preferred where you live. To confirm those, ask a Deaf signer or a qualified ASL instructor, or compare your signing with a video from a reputable ASL dictionary.

Limitations of this guide

This guide is based on the commonly taught form of the sign. No video demonstrations or regional usage data were supplied for it. Signers sometimes vary details, such as starting with the finger already hooked or making a smaller movement. Treat the steps here as a starting point and confirm them with fluent signers.