Serious in Sign Language: How to Sign It in ASL

In American Sign Language (ASL), the sign most widely taught for serious uses one handshape at the chin. Your facial expression carries as much meaning as your hand. The steps below describe that common form, show how to express seriously, and explain how to check your signing on camera. Signs vary between sign languages and regions, so compare this description with a video from a reputable ASL dictionary or with a fluent Deaf signer.

Which sign language this covers

Sign languages are not universal. ASL, used in the United States and parts of Canada, differs from British Sign Language, Auslan and others, and each has its own sign for serious. This guide covers ASL only. If you are learning another sign language, check its own dictionary or teacher.

How to sign serious in ASL

• 1. Use your dominant hand and make a 1 handshape, with only the index finger extended and the other fingers and thumb closed.
• 2. Touch the tip of your index finger to your chin.
• 3. Keep the fingertip in contact and twist your wrist slightly, so the finger rotates in place against the chin.
• 4. At the same time, use a serious facial expression: a steady gaze, a neutral or slightly tightened mouth, and no smile.

Facial expression is part of the grammar in ASL. The same hand movement made with a relaxed or joking face can look contradictory or unclear. Some signers use variations in hand position or movement, so treat this as one common form and check it against a video source.

How to sign seriously

ASL has no ending that turns an adjective into an adverb the way -ly does in English. What seriously means depends on how the word is used.

English use | Common ASL approach

In a serious way ("take this seriously") | Use the SERIOUS sign within the sentence. Your facial expression and the steadiness of the movement carry the manner.

Emphasis ("I'm seriously tired") | Show intensity through a stronger facial expression and a more deliberate movement on the main sign, such as TIRED, rather than adding a separate word.

Disbelief ("Seriously?" or "Are you serious?") | Many signers use the SERIOUS sign or the sign often glossed REAL/TRUE, with a questioning face. A common form of REAL/TRUE is an index finger moving forward from the lips.

For questions, the face does the grammatical work. Yes/no questions are usually marked with raised eyebrows. A furrowed brow can add a sense of doubt or challenge. If you are unsure which reading fits, ask a fluent signer how they would express your exact sentence.

Checking your sign on camera

Because this sign is made at the chin and depends on facial expression, a recording or video call must show your hands and face clearly. You can check your form with a short self-recording before you practice with someone else or join a signed call.

• 1. Frame the shot from about mid-chest to just above the head. This keeps your chin, mouth, eyebrows and hand in view. A shot that is too tight can crop your hand, and one that is too wide makes your face hard to read.
• 2. Light your face from the front. Strong light behind you, such as a window, can darken your face and hide your expression.
• 3. Use a plain physical background that contrasts with your skin tone and clothing, so your hand is easy to see against it. Virtual call backgrounds and blur effects can make hands flicker or disappear at the edges, so a real, uncluttered background is usually more reliable for signing.
• 4. Record a few repetitions. Then play them back and compare the handshape, the contact point on the chin, the twisting movement and your expression with a reference video.

Confirming that your camera is detected, or that the browser or system has granted access, does not confirm the video is good enough for signing. Check the recorded or live image itself. On a call, ask the other person whether your hands and face come through clearly. A low connection speed can blur fast hand movement even when the camera works.

Limits of this guide

No source material was supplied to confirm these signs, so the descriptions above reflect commonly taught ASL forms rather than a verified reference. Written descriptions also cannot fully capture movement, timing or expression. Before you rely on these signs in an important conversation, check them against a video dictionary from a recognized ASL organization or with a Deaf instructor.