WH Questions in Sign Language: Question Signs and Facial Grammar in ASL

In American Sign Language (ASL), a WH question is built from two parts used together: a question sign such as WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, HOW or WHICH, and a specific facial expression. For the expression, lower your eyebrows and draw them together, often with a slight forward tilt of the head, and hold it across the question. The question sign usually comes at the end of the sentence, though it can also appear at the start, or at both the start and the end. Without the facial expression, the same signs can read as a statement or leave the viewer unsure you are asking anything.

Which sign language this applies to

There is no single universal sign language. ASL is used in the United States and much of Canada. British Sign Language, Russian Sign Language and others have their own vocabularies and grammar, so their question signs differ from the ones below. This guide covers ASL. If you are learning Russian Sign Language or another national sign language, use a source specific to that language. Many sign languages mark questions with the face, but the details are not the same across languages.

The WH question signs in ASL

The table gives general descriptions of common forms. Written descriptions can only approximate a sign. Handshape, palm direction, location and movement all matter, and regional and community variants exist. No sign-specific evidence was supplied for this article, so check each sign against video from a reputable ASL dictionary or with a Deaf ASL instructor before relying on it.

Sign | Meaning | General description of a common form

WHO | who | Thumb of an L-shaped hand rests on the chin while the index finger bends a few times; another common form circles the index finger in front of the mouth

WHAT | what | Both open hands, palms up, shaken slightly side to side; another form brushes the index fingertip down across the opposite open palm

WHERE | where | Index finger pointing up, palm facing forward, shaken side to side

WHEN | when | One index fingertip circles around the other index fingertip and then touches it

WHY | why | Fingertips touch the forehead, then the hand moves forward and changes to a Y-handshape (thumb and little finger extended)

HOW | how | Both hands bent, backs of the fingers together, rolled forward so the palms turn up

WHICH | which | Both hands in fists with thumbs up, moved alternately up and down

HOW-MANY | how many | Closed hand or hands, palm up, flicked open as they rise

The facial expression is part of the grammar

In ASL, facial expressions and head movements carry grammatical meaning. These are called non-manual markers, meaning grammar signaled by something other than the hands. For WH questions, the marker is lowered, drawn-together eyebrows, often with slightly narrowed eyes and a small forward tilt of the head. It starts as the question starts and is held until the question ends. In this context, the furrowed brow means you are asking. It does not signal annoyance.

Learners commonly confuse WH-question brows with yes/no-question brows. The contrast is:

• WH question (who, what, where and so on): eyebrows down and drawn together.
• Yes/no question (Do you…? Are you…?): eyebrows raised, often with the head tilted forward.
• Rhetorical question, where the signer asks and then answers it themselves: eyebrows raised, even when a WH sign is used, followed by the answer.

Where the question sign goes

ASL often places the WH sign at the end of the sentence. It can also come first, or appear at both the beginning and the end for emphasis or clarity. ASL is usually written in gloss, where signs are shown as English words in capitals. A line marked wh over the gloss shows how long the facial expression is held.

     wh
YOUR NAME WHAT

       wh
BATHROOM WHERE

         wh
YOU LEAVE EARLY WHY

          wh
WHAT YOUR NAME WHAT

These glosses mean roughly: What is your name? Where is the bathroom? Why are you leaving early? The last example repeats WHAT at both ends, which is a common pattern.

Asking a WH question step by step

• 1. Choose the question sign that matches what you want to know: person (WHO), thing (WHAT), place (WHERE), time (WHEN), reason (WHY), manner (HOW), choice (WHICH) or quantity (HOW-MANY).
• 2. Look at the person you are asking. Eye contact helps show the question is directed at them.
• 3. Lower and draw your eyebrows together as you begin, with a slight forward lean of the head.
• 4. Sign the topic or rest of the sentence, for example YOUR NAME.
• 5. Sign the question word, usually at the end, keeping the facial expression throughout.
• 6. Hold the expression briefly at the end, then relax and wait for the answer.

Checking that your question reads clearly on camera

On a video call, both halves of a WH question have to reach the other person: the hand sign and the eyebrows. Before an important call, open your camera app or the call's self-view, or record a short clip, and sign a few questions. Watch the result as a viewer would. Check that your brows are clearly visible and that every sign stays fully in frame. Several WH signs happen near the face. WHO is at the chin and WHY starts at the forehead, so a crop that cuts off the top of your head can hide them.

• Framing: include your head and your signing space down to about the waist, with room at the sides for hand movement.
• Lighting: put the main light in front of you rather than behind. A bright window behind you can leave your face too dark for eyebrow movement to show.
• Physical background: a plain, uncluttered wall that contrasts with your skin and clothing makes hands easier to follow.
• Virtual backgrounds and blur: these are call-software effects, not a physical backdrop. They can clip or smear fast-moving hands at the edges, so test them with real signing before using them, or turn them off.
• Mirrored self-view: many apps mirror your self-view while sending an unmirrored image to others. Sign naturally and do not adjust your hands to match the mirror.
• Connection quality: choppy or blurry video makes quick signs hard to read. This is separate from camera access. If the app cannot detect your camera at all, that is a browser or operating-system permission issue. If the camera works but motion looks smeared, the cause is more likely lighting, bandwidth or the device itself.