How to Sign "Important" in American Sign Language

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), you sign "important" with both hands in an F handshape. Bring them up and around in a matching arc, and end with the two thumb-and-index-finger circles meeting in front of your chest. The same sign is also commonly used for related ideas such as "value," "worth" and "significant." Context and facial expression show which meaning you intend.

One clarification matters before you practice. This guide covers ASL, the sign language used mainly in the United States and parts of Canada. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, have their own signs for this concept, and those signs are not interchangeable with the ASL version. If you are communicating with someone who uses a different sign language, check that language's sign specifically.

What the F handshape looks like

A handshape is the position of your fingers and thumb while you sign. In the F handshape, the tip of your index finger touches the tip of your thumb to form a small circle. Your middle, ring and little fingers stay extended and slightly spread. Both hands use this shape for the whole sign.

Step by step

• 1. Form an F handshape with each hand.
• 2. Hold both hands low in front of your body, around waist height. Point the palms upward or turn them slightly toward each other, and bring the thumb-and-index circles close together or lightly touching.
• 3. Move both hands outward and upward at the same time, tracing a symmetrical arc, as if outlining the top of a circle.
• 4. Bring the hands back toward the center at a higher point, roughly in front of your chest.
• 5. Finish with the thumb-and-index circles of both hands meeting or touching.

Dictionaries and teachers show small differences in palm angle and in whether the hands start touching or slightly apart. The features they generally share are F handshapes on both hands, a mirrored upward arc, and the hands coming together at the end. Keep those three elements consistent and you will be making a recognizable form of the sign.

How to tell whether you are signing it correctly

• Handshape: both hands show a clear circle between the thumb and index finger, and the other three fingers are extended rather than curled into a fist.
• Symmetry: the two hands move as mirror images, at the same speed and the same size.
• Ending: the hands finish together in front of the chest, not off to one side or above the shoulders.
• Smoothness: the movement is one continuous arc rather than separate up and inward motions.

Practicing in front of a mirror lets you check these points yourself. A mirror only confirms that your form matches the description, though. It cannot tell you whether a fluent signer finds it natural or whether it fits local usage. The most reliable confirmation comes from a Deaf signer, a qualified ASL instructor, or a video dictionary where you can watch the full movement.

Showing emphasis

Facial expression is part of ASL grammar, not decoration. If you want to stress that something is very important, signers typically make the movement more deliberate and match it with a serious or intense facial expression. A flat face with a casual movement can make the sign feel weaker than you intend. For precise ways to express degrees of importance in a sentence, learn from a fluent signer, because those patterns go beyond a single dictionary entry.

Limitations of this guide

No video, illustration or source-specific evidence was supplied for this article. The description above follows the generally documented form of the ASL sign but cannot fully replace seeing it performed. Regional and personal variations exist, and a written description cannot capture timing and movement as clearly as watching a signer. Before you rely on the sign in an important conversation, compare your version with a video dictionary or confirm it with someone fluent in ASL.