How to Sign Grandfather and Grandpa in ASL

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), the language most widely used by Deaf communities in the US, grandfather and grandpa are usually signed the same way. ASL generally doesn't have separate formal and casual signs for these words. Hold your dominant hand open with the fingers spread, touch your thumb to your forehead, then move the hand forward and away from your head in two small arcs. The starting position is the sign for FATHER, and the forward arcs suggest a generation further back.

This guide covers ASL only. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, use different signs for family members, so the sign below may not be understood outside ASL.

Step by step: signing GRANDFATHER

• 1. Handshape: Use your dominant hand and spread all five fingers, with your palm facing sideways (toward your non-dominant side). This open, spread hand is often called the 5 handshape.
• 2. Starting location: Rest the tip of your thumb lightly against the center of your forehead.
• 3. Movement: Move the hand forward and slightly downward, away from your forehead, in two small connected arcs, like a hand bouncing over two low hills.
• 4. Finish: Let the hand stop a short distance in front of your face. You don't need to bring it back to your forehead.

Variations you may see

Some signers use both hands. The non-dominant hand also forms a 5 handshape and sits just in front of the dominant hand, and both hands arc forward together. Others make a single smooth forward motion instead of two distinct arcs. Signing also varies by region, age group and family. Many families give their grandparents personal name signs, and some people fingerspell G-R-A-N-D-P-A in specific situations. If you're learning the sign to talk with a particular person, ask them or their family which form they use.

How GRANDFATHER differs from related signs

Sign | Location | Movement

FATHER | Thumb at forehead | Tap the forehead twice; the hand stays in place

GRANDFATHER | Thumb at forehead | Arc forward and away, usually twice

MOTHER | Thumb at chin | Tap the chin twice; the hand stays in place

GRANDMOTHER | Thumb at chin | Arc forward and away, usually twice

Many ASL family signs follow a general pattern. Signs for male relatives are made near the forehead, and signs for female relatives are made near the chin or jaw. If you remember FATHER and MOTHER, you can build GRANDFATHER and GRANDMOTHER by adding the forward arcs.

How to check that you're signing it correctly

• Location: Your thumb should start on your forehead, not your chin. Starting at the chin changes the meaning to GRANDMOTHER.
• Movement: The hand should travel forward and away from your head. If it only taps the forehead, you've signed FATHER.
• Handshape: All fingers should stay spread for the whole sign. Curled or closed fingers can make the sign harder to read.
• Viewer's check: Practice in a mirror, or record yourself with your head and hands fully in view. Then compare your sign with a demonstration by a fluent signer.

A mirror or recording can show whether your handshape, location and movement match a demonstration. It can't tell you whether the sign fits the local or family usage of the person you're signing with. Feedback from a Deaf signer or a qualified ASL instructor is the most reliable way to confirm both.

Limitations of this guide

No subject-specific sources or demonstrations were supplied for this article. The description above reflects commonly taught ASL forms, and written descriptions can't fully capture movement, speed or facial expression. Before relying on it, compare it with a video demonstration from a reputable ASL dictionary or a fluent signer.