How to Sign "Some" in American Sign Language

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), the common sign for SOME looks like cutting off a portion. Hold one hand flat with the palm up. Rest the little-finger edge of your other hand on that palm. Then draw the edge back toward your body, as if slicing off a piece. The idea is "a part of the whole."

Two points affect this answer. First, it describes ASL, the sign language most widely used in the United States. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, have their own vocabulary and may sign this concept differently. Second, this article covers "some" meaning an amount or portion, as in "some water" or "some people." Words such as "someone" and "something" use a different sign, described below.

Step-by-step: forming the sign

• 1. Set up the base hand. Hold your non-dominant hand (your left hand if you are right-handed) flat in front of your chest with the palm facing up. This hand stays still for the whole sign.
• 2. Shape the moving hand. Hold your dominant hand flat or slightly curved, with the fingers together. Turn it so the palm faces sideways and the thumb is on top. The little-finger edge should point down.
• 3. Make contact. Place that little-finger edge across the middle of the base palm.
• 4. Move. Pull the dominant hand back toward your body across the palm in one smooth motion, as though cutting off a slice. A slight bend of the wrist during the pull is common.
• 5. Finish. Let the dominant hand come off the edge of the palm nearest you. Don't repeat the motion unless a source you trust shows it repeated.

How to check your form

A mirror is the simplest way to check yourself. The sign is likely formed correctly if all of the following are true:

• The base hand stays flat, palm up, and motionless.
• Only the little-finger edge of the moving hand touches the base palm, not its flat palm or fingertips.
• The movement travels toward your body, not away from it or side to side.
• The motion reads as one clean "cut," not a rub or a tap.

Watch what this check can't tell you. A mirror confirms the handshape, contact point and direction match the description. It can't confirm that your sign matches how signers in your area actually use it, or that it reads naturally at conversational speed. Only fluent signers can judge those things.

Signs that are easy to confuse with SOME

• PART: This sign uses a very similar "edge across the palm" form, and the two meanings overlap. The exact movement and the surrounding sentence usually separate them. A dictionary or teacher can show the difference more reliably than a written description.
• SOMETHING and SOMEONE: These are not built from SOME. They are typically signed with a raised index finger making small circular movements. Don't swap SOME in for these words.
• Fewer or smaller amounts: If you mean "a few" or "a little," ASL has separate signs for those ideas. In natural signing, the choice depends on what you are describing.

Limitations and next steps

This guide is a written description of a movement-based language. No video, illustration or regional usage data was provided for it. Sign forms can vary by region, community and age group, and a written description can miss details that matter.

Before you rely on this sign in conversation, compare it with a reputable ASL dictionary that includes video. If you can, also confirm it with a Deaf signer or a qualified ASL instructor. They can also show how SOME fits into full sentences, which a single-word guide can't cover.