How to Sign Travel in American Sign Language

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), the sign commonly taught for TRAVEL uses one hand in a bent V handshape. Extend your index and middle fingers in a V, then bend them at the knuckles. Hold the hand palm down and move it forward in a series of small circular or winding loops. The two bent fingers suggest something moving from place to place. Many learners also see this same sign glossed as TRIP.

This answer assumes ASL, the sign language most widely used in the US. Other sign languages, including British Sign Language, have their own signs for travel. ASL itself also has regional and personal variation. If you're learning for a specific person or community, check how they sign it.

Step by step

• 1. Use your dominant hand, the one you write with. Keep your other hand relaxed or at your side.
• 2. Form a V with your index and middle fingers, then curl both fingers so they bend at the knuckles. Tuck your thumb, ring finger and little finger in. This is the bent V handshape.
• 3. Turn your palm to face down, with the bent fingertips pointing toward the floor or slightly forward.
• 4. Start in front of your body at about chest height.
• 5. Move your hand forward and away from you in small, continuous loops, like a winding path.

How to check your form

A written description can't show the exact size, speed or path of the movement. The most reliable check is to compare yourself with a video of a fluent signer from a reputable ASL dictionary or course. Watching yourself in a mirror while you copy the video helps. Look at four things: whether your handshape matches, whether your palm faces the same way, whether your hand travels in the same direction, and whether your loops are about the same size.

Matching a video confirms that your hand looks similar. It doesn't confirm that you're signing naturally, using fitting facial expression, or choosing the sign a particular community prefers. For that, feedback from a Deaf signer or a qualified ASL instructor is the best test.

Limitations and gaps

This guide doesn't draw on a verified dictionary entry. The description above reflects the form commonly taught to beginners, and you should confirm it against a trusted video source. ASL also doesn't map one-to-one onto English words. Depending on context, a signer might express the idea of travel with a related sign, such as one for flying, driving or a vacation. Learning those signs is a reasonable next step if you want vocabulary for real trips, but this guide doesn't cover them.