How to Sign Heard in ASL

The short answer

American Sign Language (ASL) has no separate sign for 'heard.' You sign HEAR and show that it happened in the past. The basic sign for HEAR uses your dominant index finger, which points to or lightly touches your ear. ASL verbs usually do not change form for tense the way English verbs do. Past time comes from a time sign, such as FINISH, or from a time frame you have already set, such as YESTERDAY.

Your dominant hand is the one you write with. Left-handed signers can mirror any instructions written for the right hand.

Step by step

• 1. Raise your dominant hand to the side of your head and extend your index finger. Keep the other fingers curled.
• 2. Bring the fingertip to your ear so it points at or lightly touches it. This is HEAR.
• 3. Mark the past. If you have already said when it happened, for example with YESTERDAY or LAST-WEEK, no extra sign is needed. If you haven't, add FINISH. To make FINISH, hold both hands open in front of you with palms facing you, then flick them outward so the palms turn away.
• 4. Use your face for questions. For a yes/no question such as 'Did you hear?', raise your eyebrows and lean slightly forward while signing.

How to check that you got it right

Practice in front of a mirror or a camera's self-view. Your fingertip should end clearly at the ear, not at the mouth or cheek. If you add FINISH, the outward flick should be visible as its own movement. If you sign over video, keep your ear and both hands in the frame. A sign at the edge of the picture can get cut off.

A mirror check shows you whether the handshape and location look right. It cannot show whether your sign matches local usage or reads naturally to fluent signers. The most reliable check is feedback from a Deaf signer or a qualified ASL instructor. A video ASL dictionary that shows the sign in motion is the next best option.

Signs that are easy to confuse

• HEARING, as in a hearing person, is a different sign. It is made near the mouth, usually with the index finger making small forward circles. It does not refer to the act of hearing.
• LISTEN is also a separate sign made near the ear. If you mean 'listened' rather than 'heard,' look that sign up on its own.
• Signing systems that follow English grammar, such as Signed Exact English, may add a past-tense marker to HEAR instead of using a time sign. Standard ASL does not use that marker.

Limitations of this guide

This guide describes the sign in words, using general, widely taught ASL conventions. It is not based on a specific dictionary entry or video. Movement and timing are hard to show in text, and some regions and communities use variations. If you need precise usage, for example for interpreting, teaching or formal communication, confirm the sign with a Deaf signer or a certified instructor.