How to Sign "Want More" in Sign Language

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), the sign language most widely used in the US, you usually express "want more" by signing WANT and then MORE. In casual use, especially with toddlers or in baby-sign settings, MORE alone often carries the meaning "I want more," because context and facial expression fill in the rest.

One clarification matters before you learn it. Sign languages are not universal. British Sign Language, Auslan and others use different signs, so the description below applies to ASL only. Local variation also exists within ASL, so a signer near you may use a slightly different form.

How to sign WANT

• Hold both hands in front of your body, palms facing up.
• Spread your fingers and bend them slightly, as if you were holding a ball in each hand.
• Pull both hands toward your body in one smooth movement, curling the fingers a little more as they come in.

How to sign MORE

• Shape each hand into a "flat O": bring the fingertips together so they touch the tip of the thumb.
• Hold both hands in front of you with the fingertips facing each other.
• Tap the fingertips of both hands together, typically twice.

Putting it together, as a statement or a question

As a statement ("I want more"), sign WANT, then MORE, with a neutral or mildly emphatic expression. You can point to your own chest first to make "I" explicit, though in context it is often dropped.

As a yes-or-no question ("Do you want more?"), facial expression does the grammatical work that voice tone does in English. Raise your eyebrows, lean slightly toward the person and hold eye contact while signing. You can point to the person to show "you," either at the start or at the end of the phrase. Without raised eyebrows, the same handshapes read as a statement.

Checking your signing on a video call

If you plan to use this sign on camera, a quick self-check helps make sure the other person can actually read it. A camera that is merely detected by your browser or app is not the same as one that shows your hands clearly, so look at the preview rather than assuming.

• Framing: keep your head, shoulders and the space in front of your chest in view. Both signs happen at chest height, and the fingertip taps in MORE are easy to lose if the frame cuts off below your shoulders.
• Lighting: light your face and hands from the front. Strong light behind you can turn your hands into silhouettes and hide your eyebrows, which carry the question marker.
• Background: a plain physical background with color that contrasts with your skin makes handshapes easier to see. Virtual background and blur effects can sometimes smear or clip moving fingers, so test them in the preview or turn them off.
• Speed: sign at a steady pace. Video compression on a weak connection can blur fast movements, so a clear preview does not guarantee the same clarity at the other end. Ask the other person to confirm they can read you.

Limitations of this guide

These descriptions are based on commonly taught ASL forms, not on supplied reference material or video, and written instructions cannot fully capture movement, palm orientation or facial grammar. To confirm you are signing correctly, compare your version against a video from a reputable ASL dictionary or, better, ask a Deaf signer or a qualified ASL instructor to watch you sign.