How to Sign Meeting

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), MEETING is usually signed with both hands. Start with the hands open in front of your chest, fingers spread and pointing up, palms facing each other. Then bring the fingertips of each hand together into a closed, pinched shape while the hands move toward each other. Repeat the movement once. The fingertips gathering together represent many people coming together, which is why the sign means a meeting or a gathering.

This guide describes ASL as used in the United States. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, have their own signs for meeting. Local and regional variants also exist within ASL, so the people you sign with may use a different form.

MEETING or MEET: check which one you need

English uses "meeting" and "meet" for related ideas, but ASL commonly uses different signs. MEETING, the noun for a scheduled gathering such as a staff meeting, uses the two-handed gathering movement described above. MEET, the verb for one person meeting another, is usually signed with both index fingers pointing up, one on each hand, which move toward each other until the hands touch. Each finger represents a person. If you mean "I met her yesterday" rather than "we have a meeting at 3," use MEET.

Step by step

• 1. Hold both hands in front of your chest, roughly shoulder-width apart or a little closer.
• 2. Open both hands with the fingers spread and pointing upward. Your palms face each other.
• 3. Move the hands toward each other. As they move, close each hand by bringing the fingertips together against the thumb, forming a flat, pinched shape.
• 4. Let the closed hands meet or nearly meet in front of you.
• 5. Open the hands slightly and repeat the closing movement once. A repeated movement is typical for this noun.

How to tell if you are signing it correctly

• Handshape: your hands start open with spread fingers and finish with the fingertips pinched together. If they finish as fists, the shape is wrong.
• Orientation: your palms face each other throughout, not toward the person watching.
• Location: the sign stays in the space in front of your chest. It does not touch your face or body.
• Movement: both hands move at the same time and mirror each other.
• Meaning: you used the single-index-finger form only if you meant the verb MEET.

A mirror or your camera's self-view is a useful way to check the four points above. Many video apps show your preview mirrored, so your left and right look reversed compared with what the other person sees. This sign is symmetrical, so mirroring does not change how it looks. A mirror check confirms shape and placement. It cannot confirm that your movement looks natural or that a fluent signer would read it as intended. Feedback from a Deaf signer or a qualified ASL instructor is the reliable test.

Limitations of a written description

Signs depend on movement, rhythm and facial expression, and a written description captures only part of that. Before using the sign in a real conversation, compare this description with a video from a reputable ASL dictionary or instructor. No source materials were supplied for this article. The description reflects the commonly taught ASL form and has not been checked against a specific dictionary entry or regional usage.