How to Sign “Future” in American Sign Language

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), FUTURE is usually signed with an open, flat hand held beside your head near the cheek or temple. Your palm faces sideways toward your face. You then move the hand forward, away from your head, in a small arc. The same sign is also commonly used to mean WILL, as in something that is going to happen.

One ambiguity matters. Sign languages are not universal. This guide describes ASL, the sign language most widely used in the United States. British Sign Language, Auslan, Langue des Signes Française and other sign languages have their own signs for future. If you are communicating with someone who uses a different sign language, check their sign rather than assuming the ASL version will be understood.

Why the sign moves forward

ASL often treats time as a line running through the signer's body. The space behind your shoulder relates to the past, the space right at your body relates to the present, and the space in front of you relates to what is ahead. FUTURE follows that pattern: the hand starts near your head and travels forward into the space in front of you. Keeping this idea in mind makes the sign easier to remember, and it helps you tell it apart from signs for the past.

Step-by-step: forming the sign

• 1. Use your dominant hand, the one you write with.
• 2. Make a flat hand: fingers straight and together, with the thumb resting alongside the hand. This is often called a flat or B handshape.
• 3. Point your fingertips upward and turn your palm sideways so it faces your cheek. A right-handed signer's palm faces left.
• 4. Place the hand near the side of your head, a little in front of your ear and level with your cheek or temple. Your hand should not touch your face.
• 5. Move the hand forward and slightly outward in a smooth arc, away from your head.
• 6. Keep your face relaxed and neutral for a plain statement about the future.

Showing near future versus distant future

ASL can change how far ahead you mean by changing the movement. A small, short forward motion suggests something not far off. A larger, longer, or more drawn-out motion, together with a matching facial expression, suggests a time far in the future. Fluent signers vary these details, so treat this as a general principle rather than a fixed rule. Watching native signers is the best way to learn the exact range of variations.

Signs that are easy to confuse with FUTURE

• PAST: the hand moves backward over the shoulder instead of forward, which reflects the opposite end of the time line.
• LATER: this is generally a separate sign made with a different handshape. It is not the same as FUTURE, although the meanings overlap in everyday English.
• WILL: as noted above, this is usually signed the same way as FUTURE. Context tells the viewer which English word fits best.

How to check that you are signing it correctly

Practise in front of a mirror, or record a short clip with your phone's front camera, and compare it with a demonstration by a fluent or Deaf ASL signer. Check four things: the hand is flat with the fingers together, the palm faces your cheek, the starting point is beside your head rather than in front of your face, and the movement goes forward. If all four match the demonstration, you are forming the basic sign correctly.

Be clear about what this check can and cannot tell you. A mirror or recording shows whether your hand's shape, position and movement look right. It does not show whether your timing, facial expression and use of the sign within a full sentence come across naturally. Feedback from an ASL instructor or a fluent signer is the reliable way to confirm those parts.

Limits of this guide

No specific source material was supplied for this article. The description above reflects the commonly taught ASL form, but regional and personal variations exist, and a written description cannot fully capture movement. Before you rely on the sign in an important conversation, confirm it against a reputable ASL video dictionary or with a Deaf ASL teacher.