So, you’re trying to figure out how to sign this in ASL.
It sounds like a simple request, right? You point at an object, you ask the question, and someone gives you a sign. But American Sign Language isn't just a word-for-word replacement for English. It’s a spatial, visual, and conceptual beast. If you walk up to a Deaf person and just waggle your finger at a coffee cup without the right facial grammar, you’re basically just pointing at things like a confused tourist.
Honestly, the most important thing to realize is that "this" is a deictic word. That's a fancy linguistic term for a "pointing word." In ASL, the sign for THIS is usually just a pointed index finger directed at the object or a specific location in your signing space. But there’s a massive catch.
If the object isn't physically there, or if you're talking about an abstract idea, the sign changes. You can't just poke the air and hope for the best.
The Basic Mechanics of the Sign
Let’s get the physical part out of the way first. To sign THIS in a general sense—like when you’re identifying a specific item—you take your dominant hand, extend your index finger, and point it toward the object. If you are referencing something broad or a concept you just mentioned, you might use your dominant hand's index finger to press into the palm of your non-dominant hand (which stays flat, palm up).
It looks a bit like you’re pinning a note to a table.
But wait. If you are actually asking "How do I sign this?" while pointing at a stapler, you aren't really signing the word "this." You are using a deictic gesture followed by the sign for SIGN and the question-marker facial expression.
Facial expressions are the "adverbs" of ASL. Without them, you're monotone.
When asking a question like how to sign this in ASL, your eyebrows need to be furrowed. This is a "WH-Question" (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How). In English, we raise our pitch at the end of a sentence. In ASL, we scrunch our face. If your eyebrows are up, you're asking a Yes/No question. If they’re down, you’re asking for information.
Context Changes Everything
Let's say you're at a dinner party. You see a dish you don’t recognize. You point at the plate and look at your friend. You sign: POINT-AT-DISH, SIGN WHAT?
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You don't need a sign for "this" because the pointing is the sign.
ASL is incredibly efficient. Why use a formal sign for a pronoun when the physical object is sitting right there on the table? This is where many beginners trip up. They want a 1:1 translation for every English word. English is "heavy." It uses "is," "am," "the," and "this" constantly. ASL is "lean." It uses the environment.
If you are talking about a concept—let’s say, a weird rule at work—and you want to ask how to sign this in ASL, you’d first describe the rule. Then, you’d use the "pinning" sign mentioned earlier (index finger to palm) to reference the idea you just "placed" in the air.
Bill Vicars, a well-known ASL expert and founder of Lifeprint, often emphasizes that ASL is about concepts over words. If you try to sign "This is a cat," and you sign THIS - IS - A - CAT, you are signing Signed Exact English (SEE), not ASL. A native signer would just point and sign CAT.
Common Mistakes Beginners Make
Stop overthinking your hands. Seriously.
People get so caught up in whether their thumb is tucked or their wrist is at a 45-degree angle that they forget to look at the person they’re talking to. Eye contact is the "dial tone" of ASL. If you break it to look at your own hands while trying to figure out how to sign this in ASL, the conversation stops.
- The "Static" Error: Holding the sign too long. ASL is fluid.
- The Mumble: Signing too small or too close to your chest. It’s like whispering.
- The "English Brain": Trying to find a sign for "the" or "a." They don't exist in ASL.
Another weird nuance? Directionality. If you are talking about "this" person over here versus "that" person over there, your body needs to slightly shift. You "assign" spots in the air to people or things. Once you point to a spot on your left and call it "my boss," every time you point to that empty air on the left, you are signing "this person/my boss."
It’s like building an invisible map in front of your chest.
Why Facial Grammar is Actually "Grammar"
I can't stress this enough: your face is not just showing emotion; it’s doing the work of grammar.
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When you ask how to sign this in ASL, your head should tilt slightly forward. Your eyebrows should be squeezed together. This signals to the other person, "I am seeking specific information."
If you just do the hand movements with a blank face, it’s like reading a text message in a robotic voice. It’s confusing. It feels "off."
Researchers at institutions like Gallaudet University have spent decades documenting how non-manual markers (NMMs) function. They found that the brain processes these facial movements in the same areas it processes spoken language syntax. It’s not "body language" in the way we think of it in English; it’s literally the structure of the sentence.
The Best Way to Practice
Don't just watch YouTube videos. Well, do watch them, but don't only watch them.
The problem with 2D video is that you lose the depth of the signing space. When you learn how to sign this in ASL from a screen, you might not realize that the signer is leaning two inches forward to indicate emphasis.
Try this:
Find a native signer or a certified interpreter. If you don't know one, use an app like Lingvano or ASL Bloom that focuses on conversational context rather than just vocabulary lists. Vocabulary lists are where interest goes to die. You need to see how signs collide and flow into one another.
Also, watch "Deaf U" on Netflix or look up Deaf creators on TikTok and Instagram. Seeing how younger generations sign is vital because, like any language, ASL evolves. The way an 80-year-old signs "this" might be more formal than the way a 19-year-old college student does it.
Dealing with Regional Dialects
Yes, ASL has accents.
If you go to the South, people might sign slower or use different variations for common objects. If you’re in New York, it might be faster and "sharper." When you’re asking how to sign this in ASL, you might get two different answers in two different states. Neither is wrong.
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It’s like "pop" vs. "soda."
Black American Sign Language (BASL) is another crucial variation. It has its own distinct history, influenced by the segregation of schools for the deaf. BASL often uses a larger signing space and more two-handed variations of signs that might be one-handed in Standard ASL. Understanding that these variations exist makes you a much better student of the language.
Actionable Steps for Learning Now
You want to get better? Start small but be consistent.
- Pick five objects in your room. Point to them and ask yourself (out loud or in your head), "How do I sign this?"
- Practice the WH-face. Get in a mirror. Furrow those brows. Make it look natural. If you look like you’re trying to solve a hard math problem, you’re doing it right.
- Learn the sign for "SIGN." It’s a rolling motion with both index fingers moving around each other. Use it.
- Stop using your voice. When you practice, shut your mouth. Using "Sim-Com" (Simultaneous Communication) where you talk and sign at the same time usually results in poor ASL grammar because your brain defaults to English word order.
If you really want to master how to sign this in ASL, you have to embrace the silence. Listen with your eyes. The language isn't just in your fingers; it's in the space between you and the person you're talking to.
Beyond the Basics
Eventually, you'll move past "this" and "that" and into "classifiers." Classifiers are handshapes that represent the size, shape, or movement of an object. Instead of just pointing at a car, you use a specific handshape to show how the car is driving up a hill or turning a corner.
But for now, focus on the point. Focus on the palm-press. Focus on the face.
The most respectful way to learn is to acknowledge that you are a guest in a culture. The Deaf community is often very patient with learners, but they appreciate it when you put in the effort to learn the culture and the grammar, not just a few cool-looking hand gestures.
If you're stuck, use the "pointing" method. It’s the universal backup. Point at the thing, sign WHAT, and keep your eyebrows down. You’ll get your answer.
To take this further, start by replacing one common English phrase a day with its ASL equivalent. Instead of saying "What is this?" to your partner or roommate, use the point-and-sign method. Consistent, low-stakes practice is what builds the muscle memory required to stop "translating" in your head and start actually thinking in sign. Reach out to local Deaf clubs or search for "ASL Coffee Chats" in your city to find real-world environments where you can test your skills. Reading about a language is a start, but signing it in a room full of people is where the real learning happens.