How to Sign "Late" in American Sign Language

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), LATE is usually signed with your dominant hand held flat beside your body near the waist, with the palm facing backward and the fingers pointing down. You then bend the hand back and forth at the wrist a few times. This sign means late in the sense of not on time or overdue, such as "I'm late" or "the bus is late."

Two points can change the answer. First, this describes ASL, the sign language most widely used in the United States. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, are separate languages with their own signs, so this form may not apply there. Second, English uses "late" in other senses. "My late grandmother," meaning someone who has died, is not expressed with the LATE sign. Instead, signers express that meaning differently, for example with a sign related to dying or passing away. If you need that meaning, confirm the appropriate sign with a fluent signer.

Step-by-step: forming the sign

• 1. Use your dominant hand (the one you write with). Hold it open and flat, with the fingers together and the thumb resting alongside.
• 2. Lower the hand to your side at roughly waist or hip level, slightly behind the line of your body.
• 3. Point your fingers toward the floor and turn your palm to face behind you.
• 4. Bend your hand back and forth from the wrist a few times. Keep the movement small and relaxed rather than swinging the whole arm.
• 5. Add an appropriate facial expression. Keep a neutral face for a plain statement. For a yes-or-no question such as "Are you late?", raise your eyebrows, which is how ASL typically marks this kind of question.

Signs that are easy to confuse

NOT-YET uses a very similar hand position and movement. It is commonly described as being distinguished by facial grammar, such as a slight headshake or the tip of the tongue showing between the teeth. If you sign LATE with those facial markers, a viewer may read it as "not yet."

LATER is a different sign that uses an L handshape rather than a flat hand. Don't substitute one for the other: "I'll see you later" and "I'm late" are signed differently.

How to check that you're signing it correctly

Practice in front of a mirror and compare your handshape, palm direction, location and movement against a video demonstration from a reputable ASL dictionary or course. Video shows the motion more clearly than a written description. The most reliable check is feedback from a Deaf signer or a qualified ASL instructor. They can confirm whether your sign reads clearly and whether a regional variant is more common where you are.

Comparing yourself with a mirror or video confirms that your form roughly matches the reference. It does not confirm that your facial expression, speed and context come across naturally. Only feedback from a fluent signer covers those.

If you're signing on a video call

Because LATE is produced at waist level beside the body, a tight head-and-shoulders camera frame can cut it off. Before the call, open your camera's self-view or preview and sign LATE. Check that your hand stays visible through the whole movement. If it doesn't, move back from the camera or tilt it down until your torso is in frame. Keep in mind that the self-view only confirms your framing. It does not show how smoothly the motion will appear to the other person if their connection is slow.

Limitations of this guide

No verified source material or demonstration video was supplied for this article. The description above reflects the commonly documented ASL form of LATE, but signs vary by region, community and individual signer. Treat it as a starting point and confirm it with a video dictionary or a fluent signer before relying on it in important conversations.