It is the first sign nearly everyone learns, and the one that opens every conversation. So how do you sign “hello” in ASL?
Form a flat B handshape with your dominant hand, fingers together and palm facing slightly outward, bring it to the side of your forehead like a salute, then move it outward and away from your body.
The sign is highly iconic, tracing its roots to a traditional military salute or the gesture of tipping a hat to greet someone. That origin makes it immediately memorable.
The mistake beginners make most often is performing it too rigidly. It resembles a salute but should feel casual and warm rather than stiff and formal. Keep your hand relaxed and your wrist natural.
The second frequent error is a floppy wrist or separated fingers, which turns a crisp B handshape into something sloppy. Your fingers stay together and your thumb rests alongside your index.
As always in ASL, your facial expression carries part of the message. A greeting signed without a smile or eye contact reads cold, and in a language built on visual cues that matters as much as the hand itself.
One useful note: this sign is the standard for both hello and hi. You may see Deaf people use a simple wave in very casual settings with close friends, but the salute works in every situation.
To learn greetings with video demonstrations, the Anna: Sign Language app available at annasignlanguage.com guides beginners step by step.
In this article we cover everything about signing hello in ASL.
How to Form the Sign HELLO in ASL?
Here are the steps to form the sign properly.
Raise your dominant hand toward your forehead
Form a flat B handshape with fingers together
Rest your thumb alongside your index finger
Face your palm slightly outward
Touch the side of your forehead near the temple
Move your hand outward and away from your body
Smile and maintain eye contact throughout
The decisive element is the outward movement. Your hand travels away from your head toward the person you are greeting, which is what gives the sign its sense of address. A gesture that stays near your face loses that direction entirely.
Keep your fingers together in a clean B handshape. Separated fingers or a loose hand make the sign look sloppy, and this is among the most common beginner errors.
Relax your wrist as well. The sign resembles a salute but should feel warm rather than military. Performing it rigidly is the second frequent mistake, and it changes the tone of your greeting completely.
The contact with your forehead stays light. Your hand touches the temple area without pressing, which keeps the movement fluid.
Your facial expression matters as much as your hand. A smile or simply an open expression turns the gesture into a genuine greeting, while a neutral face reads cold in a language built on visual cues.
Maintain eye contact throughout. In ASL, your gaze indicates who you are addressing, and greeting someone while looking elsewhere feels strange.
Use your dominant hand consistently, whichever that is. Switching hands mid-conversation disrupts clarity.
What Mistakes Should You Avoid When Signing HELLO?
Several errors recur among beginners, and most concern what surrounds the hand rather than the hand itself.
Performing the sign too rigidly, which turns a warm greeting into a stiff military salute
Separating your fingers, breaking the clean B handshape into something sloppy
Letting your wrist go floppy, which blurs the movement and weakens the sign
Signing with a neutral face, stripping the greeting of its warmth
Avoiding eye contact, which leaves your greeting addressed to nobody
Keeping your hand near your head instead of moving it outward toward the person
Pressing hard against your forehead rather than touching lightly
Switching dominant hands between signs, which disrupts clarity
Among these, the rigid salute is by far the most common. The sign genuinely resembles a military salute, which leads beginners to reproduce that formality. The actual gesture should feel casual and welcoming, with a relaxed hand and a natural wrist.
The neutral face comes a close second and matters just as much. ASL relies heavily on visual cues, which means a greeting delivered without a smile reads cold or even unintentional. Your expression is part of the sign, not decoration added on top.
Eye contact deserves its own mention. In ASL your gaze indicates who you are addressing, so greeting someone while looking elsewhere produces an odd effect, as though you said hello to the room rather than to them.
One reassuring note to close: this sign carries minimal regional variation across the ASL community. Unlike many signs, what you learn here works everywhere.
Film yourself once to check whether your expression actually follows your hand.
Conclusion: A Salute With Warmth
To sign “hello” in ASL, bring your dominant hand to the side of your forehead in a flat B handshape, fingers together and palm slightly outward, then move it outward and away from your body.
The sign is genuinely iconic, tracing back to a traditional salute or the gesture of tipping a hat. That origin makes it easy to remember, and it explains the single most common mistake beginners make.
Remember that distinction: the gesture resembles a salute but should feel warm rather than military. Keep your hand relaxed, your wrist natural and your fingers together in a clean B handshape.
The second point matters just as much. Your facial expression and eye contact carry part of the message. A greeting signed without a smile reads cold, and one delivered while looking elsewhere is addressed to nobody in particular. In a language built on visual cues, these are not optional additions.
One reassuring note: this sign carries minimal regional variation across the ASL community, which is not true of every sign. What you learn here works everywhere.
Note finally that the salute serves as the standard for both hello and hi. You may see Deaf people use a simple wave in casual settings among close friends, but the salute remains appropriate in every situation, which makes it the safest choice while you are learning.
To learn greetings with video demonstrations, the Anna: Sign Language app available at annasignlanguage.com guides beginners step by step.
