How to Sign "Hard" in American Sign Language

In American Sign Language (ASL), the common sign for "hard," meaning firm or solid, uses two bent-V handshapes. Your dominant hand strikes down onto the back of your other hand. English uses one word for several ideas, though, and ASL often does not. Before you learn the sign, decide which meaning of "hard" you need.

Which "hard" do you mean?

ASL signs carry concepts, not English spellings. The word "hard" can point to at least three different signs:

• Hard as in firm, solid or not soft, such as a hard surface or a hard candy. This is the sign described below as HARD.
• Hard as in difficult, such as a hard test or a hard day. Many signers use a separate sign, DIFFICULT. Some use HARD for this meaning too, depending on region and personal style.
• Hard of hearing, if your search was cut short. This is its own sign and does not use the HARD sign at all.

How to sign HARD (firm or solid)

• 1. Make a bent-V handshape with each hand. Extend your index and middle fingers in a V, then bend them at the knuckles so they look like claws. Fold your other fingers down and hold them with your thumb.
• 2. Hold your non-dominant bent-V hand in front of your body, palm facing down or slightly toward you.
• 3. Raise your dominant bent-V hand a little above it.
• 4. Bring your dominant hand down so it strikes the back of your non-dominant hand with a firm, short contact. One crisp tap is typical.

The firm, abrupt contact helps show the meaning. A soft or slow touch looks less like "hard."

How to sign DIFFICULT

For "hard" meaning difficult, the commonly taught sign also uses two bent-V hands, but the movement is different. Hold both hands in front of your chest with palms facing you. Move them up and down in opposite directions so the bent knuckles brush past each other, usually more than once. Ask the people you sign with whether they use DIFFICULT or HARD for this meaning, because usage varies.

How to sign HARD-OF-HEARING

If you meant "hard of hearing," a widely taught form uses an H handshape: your index and middle fingers together and extended, palm facing down. The hand makes small downward bounces while moving sideways, away from your body. Some people prefer to fingerspell a description or use a different self-identifying sign. If someone tells you how they describe themselves, follow their preference.

Showing degree: "very hard"

In ASL, facial expression is part of the grammar, not decoration. To show that something is very hard or very difficult, make the movement stronger or tighter and match it with a tense face, such as furrowed brows or tightened lips. A neutral face with a strong movement can look mismatched. Facial grammar is one of the hardest things to learn from text alone.

Checking that you are signing it correctly

Practice with a mirror or by watching a recording of yourself. Check these points:

• Handshape: both hands are bent-V, not flat V hands or fists.
• Contact: for HARD, your dominant hand lands on the back of your non-dominant hand, not on the fingertips or palm.
• Movement: HARD is one firm downward tap. DIFFICULT is an alternating brush past each other. Mixing the two movements changes the sign.
• Face: your expression matches the meaning and intensity you intend.

Self-checking can catch obvious handshape and movement errors. It cannot confirm that your sign is natural or that the people you sign with use it. Feedback from a fluent signer, ideally a Deaf ASL teacher, is the most reliable way to confirm that.

Limits of this guide

No source material was supplied for this article, so these descriptions reflect commonly taught ASL forms rather than a specific reference. Written descriptions also cannot show exact movement, speed or facial expression. Compare them against a video from a reputable ASL dictionary or course. Note that ASL is used mainly in the United States and parts of Canada. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, use different signs for these words.