How to Sign "Share" in Sign Language

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), the sign most often taught for SHARE, meaning to divide something or give part of it to others, uses two flat hands. The edge of your dominant hand rests on the thumb-and-index-finger edge of your other hand and slides back and forth a couple of times, as if you are portioning something between two people.

No verified source material was supplied for this guide. The description below follows how the sign is commonly presented in ASL learning materials. Check it against a video dictionary or a fluent Deaf signer before you rely on it.

Two things that change the answer

• Which sign language you mean: ASL, used in the US and parts of Canada, is a separate language from British, Russian or other national sign languages. Each has its own sign for "share," so a sign learned for one may not be understood in another. If you searched in Russian but need to communicate with someone using Russian Sign Language, the ASL form described here may not apply.
• Which meaning of "share" you mean: the sign described here covers sharing in the sense of dividing or giving part of something. Other uses, such as sharing a screen on a call or sharing a post online, may be expressed differently depending on context and the signer. This guide does not have evidence for those variants. When in doubt, you can fingerspell S-H-A-R-E or ask the other person which sign they use.

Step by step: the common ASL sign for SHARE

• 1. Hold your non-dominant hand flat with fingers together. The palm faces sideways toward your body's midline and the fingertips point forward.
• 2. Hold your dominant hand flat in the same way, with fingers together.
• 3. Rest the little-finger edge of your dominant hand in the space between the thumb and index finger of your non-dominant hand.
• 4. Slide your dominant hand forward and back along that edge two or three times, keeping the motion small and relaxed.
• 5. Pair the sign with a natural facial expression. In sign languages, the face carries grammar and meaning, not just emotion.

How to check that you're signing it correctly

• Compare your handshape, hand position and movement with a video entry in an ASL dictionary. Written descriptions often miss small details of motion.
• Record yourself and watch it side by side with the reference video.
• Ask a fluent or Deaf signer for feedback when you can. Regional and personal variation exists, and a person can tell you what is natural in their community.

If you're showing the sign on a video call

Seeing your own camera preview shows only that the camera is working. It doesn't guarantee that the other person can read your sign clearly. Frame yourself from roughly the top of your head to your waist, so both hands and your face stay in view while you move. Face a light source rather than sitting with a bright window behind you. A plain physical background that contrasts with your skin tone usually makes hand shapes easier to see than a busy one.

Virtual background and blur effects can sometimes cut off or smear moving hands. If the other person has trouble following you, try turning the effect off. To check how fast motion actually comes through, ask the other person or record a short test, because your local preview may look smoother than what they receive.