How to Say "Take Care" in Sign Language

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), "take care" is commonly signed with both hands in a K handshape. Stack one hand on top of the other in front of your chest and move them together in a small circle. Signers often use this as a friendly goodbye, much like saying "take care" at the end of a conversation.

Two points can change this answer. First, there is no single universal sign language. British Sign Language, Auslan, LSF and others have their own signs, so this description applies to ASL, the sign language most widely used in the US. Second, English uses "take care" for several ideas: a farewell, a warning to be careful, and looking after someone. ASL often expresses these with related signs that differ in movement and context.

Step by step: signing "take care" in ASL

• 1. Form the K handshape on both hands. Point your index finger up, hold your middle finger out at an angle, and rest the tip of your thumb against the middle finger. Fold the ring and little fingers down.
• 2. Stack the hands. Hold them in front of your chest with the dominant hand resting on top of the other. The little-finger side of the top hand touches the index-finger side of the bottom hand.
• 3. Add the movement. Move both stacked hands together in a small, relaxed circle, keeping the contact between them.
• 4. Add a natural facial expression. A warm, friendly expression fits a goodbye. Facial expression is part of ASL grammar and tone, not just decoration.

"Take care" versus "be careful"

The ASL sign usually glossed as CAREFUL uses the same stacked K handshapes. Instead of circling, the top hand taps the bottom hand, often twice. The tapping form leans toward a warning ("be careful"). The circular form leans toward "take care" or "take care of" someone or something. In casual farewells, many signers use either form, and context tells the other person which meaning is intended.

Checking your sign before a call

If you plan to use the sign on a video call, open your camera preview first. Make sure both hands stay inside the frame at chest height, with enough space above and to the sides that the circular movement isn't cut off. Even lighting on your hands and face, plus a plain background behind you, makes handshapes easier to read.

Many video apps show your self-view mirrored, so your dominant hand may appear on the "wrong" side in your preview. Usually only your own view is flipped and the other person sees you normally, but this depends on the app and its settings. Check this before deciding your signing looks reversed.

Limitations and how to verify

This guide is based on general, widely taught descriptions of ASL. It does not draw on a specific dictionary entry, video source or instructor review, and written descriptions cannot fully capture movement, speed or regional variation. Before relying on the sign, compare your version with an ASL video dictionary or ask a Deaf signer or qualified ASL teacher. If you need "take care" in a sign language other than ASL, look up that language specifically, because the sign will likely differ.