Thank You in ASL vs. Good: Key Differences and More

Someone asks you to sign “thank you,” you raise a flat hand to your chin, and suddenly your palm is doing something that looks a lot like “good.” That confusion is one of the most common speed bumps for new American Sign Language (ASL) learners — and the fix is hidden in a single movement. Once you see which direction the sign travels, “thank you” and “good” stop looking alike, and a handful of everyday signs become genuinely easy to pick up.

Number of ASL signs: over 10,000 ·
ASL users in the United States: 250,000–500,000 ·
Time to learn basic everyday signs: a few weeks ·
Sign languages worldwide: more than 300

One pattern worth holding onto: ASL is a full language with its own grammar and history, not a gesture code for English.

What is the difference between “good” and “thank you” in American Sign Language?

Both signs start with an open hand near the mouth or chin. That shared starting zone is exactly why new learners put “thank you” in the wrong sentence.

How do you say “thank you” in ASL?

• Handshape: open, flat hand.
• Starting point: fingertips near the mouth or chin.
• Movement: outward and slightly down, toward the person you’re thanking.

1. Start with an open, flat hand.
2. Bring your fingertips to your lips or chin.
3. Move your hand forward and slightly down towards the person you are thanking.
4. Finish with your palm facing upward.

Strong ASL, an online dictionary, describes THANK-YOU as starting open-handed near the mouth and moving outward toward the addressee (Strong ASL (ASL dictionary)). The hand finishes palm-up, a detail the Safety and Health Foundation emphasizes in its training material.

The sign expresses gratitude or appreciation — it does not mean “good.”

How do you say “good” in ASL?

• Handshape: open, flat hand.
• Starting point: near the mouth.
• Movement: downward to meet the non-dominant open palm.

GOOD follows the same open-hand start but a different path. Instead of leaving the face, the hand drops into the other palm — a distinction Signing Savvy highlights when it compares the two signs.

Four rows make the difference visual: THANK-YOU and GOOD share a starting zone, then split on direction and meaning.

The location and direction of movement are the parameters that separate the two signs. Move toward the other person and you’re saying thanks; move down and you’re evaluating.

A beginner shouldn’t substitute GOOD for THANK-YOU — the two signs answer different questions, even though they start in the same place.

The takeaway: direction is the memory key. Out = thanks. Down = good.

Is there a universal sign language?

No. American Sign Language grew up inside North American Deaf communities, and other countries have their own signed languages with separate vocabularies and grammars. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), a U.S. health agency, describes ASL as a complete natural language used primarily in the United States and many parts of Canada — and notes it is not universal.

What are the major sign languages?

• ASL: United States and parts of Canada.
• BSL: United Kingdom.
• LSF: France — the tradition ASL grew out of.

Each is a separate language, not a dialect of the same hand-code. British Sign, a BSL learning resource, warns that an ASL THANK-YOU demonstration should not be treated as the sign for every sign language.

Differences between ASL and BSL

• Vocabulary: entirely different signs for most everyday words.
• History: ASL traces to French Sign Language traditions; BSL has its own British roots.
• Mutual intelligibility: low — an ASL signer does not automatically understand BSL.

For a learner, the practical rule is simple: learn the signed language used in your region, not whichever video went viral.

The pattern: signed languages are community languages. “Thank you in sign language” is really “thank you in ASL” — or in BSL, LSF, or any of the hundreds of other signed languages used worldwide.

How long does it take to learn sign language?

Short answer: weeks to be useful, years to be fluent. A beginner who practices a few times per week can handle everyday signs quickly; conversational fluency is a longer road.

Factors affecting learning speed

• Practice frequency: short daily drills beat a three-hour marathon once a month.
• Immersion: regular conversations with Deaf signers accelerate everything.
• Feedback: someone correcting your handshape and palm orientation prevents bad habits.

Basic signs vs fluency

Learn How to Sign, an ASL lesson channel, organizes its beginner material as a 50-sign starter set — a signal that a functional base is the entry point, not the finish line. For most adult learners, comfortable everyday conversation takes years of regular practice and real-world contact, not months. For the full step-by-step breakdown of the THANK-YOU sign — hand placement, motion path, and common beginner mistakes — see the complete ASL sign guide (Mediascope Daily (ASL guide)).

The catch: learning a phrase in a weekend is realistic; learning a language is a relationship with a community. One is a sign, the other is a life skill.

How to sign common everyday phrases?

The everyday signs below follow the same recipe: place a hand in a specific location, move it in a specific direction, and let your face say the rest. Maintaining visual attention matters just as much as handshape — Learn How to Sign stresses eye contact as a core beginner habit.

What is hungry in sign language?

• Handshape: bent hand, like a loose C.
• Location: upper chest.
• Movement: the hand pulls downward.

Hungry is signed with a bent hand starting at the upper chest and moving down. It is one of the first “feelings” signs in beginner lessons.

How do I sign “I’m thirsty”?

• Handshape: index finger extended.
• Location: upper neck, just below the chin.
• Movement: draw the fingertip down along the throat.

Thirsty traces a line down the throat with an index finger — an easy sign to remember after a long day.

How to sign “I’m tired”?

• Handshape: open hand.
• Location: chin.
• Movement: the hand drops downward from the chin.

Tired starts with a hand at the chin and lets it fall, as if the energy is draining out of you.

How do I say “I’m so bored”?

• Handshape: index finger extended.
• Location: beside the nose.
• Movement: small circles in the air.

Bored is signed with a finger circling lazily near the nose — the gesture itself explains the feeling.

Why this matters: these four signs use the same logic as THANK-YOU and GOOD: location plus movement plus facial expression. Crack that pattern and every new sign gets easier.

The implication: master these physical mnemonics and you will already grasp a core concept of ASL—meaning lives in motion.

What are some less common signs?

Some of the signs learners search for are not in the polite-first vocabulary. A few show up in beginner lists, and a few are better understood than rehearsed — especially insults and profanity.

What’s funny in sign language?

• Handshape: open hand with fingers spread.
• Location: nose.
• Movement: fingers wiggle or brush near the nose.

Funny lives around the nose, with a wiggling finger motion that makes it one of the more expressive early signs.

How do you say “moron” in sign language?

• Handshape: flat hand.
• Location: forehead.
• Movement: a tap on the forehead.

This sign is offensive. It is flagged here only so learners recognize it if they see it — the same warning applies to insult vocabulary in any language.

What are some cuss words in ASL?

Learners sometimes ask whether ASL has equivalents to English profanity — it does, and several of those signs are tied to specific regions or age groups. Treat them as cultural knowledge, not conversation starters.

What is ASL for “I’m sorry”?

• Handshape: fist.
• Location: chest.
• Movement: a small circular motion over the chest.

Sorry uses a fist circling over the chest and sits in the early politeness set, right next to THANK-YOU and PLEASE.

What does wiggling your fingers under your chin mean?

• Handshape: flat or slightly curved hand.
• Location: under the chin.
• Movement: the fingers wiggle.

That wiggling-fingers-under-the-chin sign can mean “interesting” or, depending on context, “fine” or “whatever.” The same motion shifts meaning with a change in facial expression — one more reason nonmanual signals matter.

The caution: context and regional norms determine whether a sign is playful or offensive. Learn to understand these signs — and spend your practice time on vocabulary you would actually use in a conversation.

What this means: context and facial expression can turn a polite sign into an insult or a joke, so learn the culture alongside the vocabulary.

Confirmed facts vs. what’s still unclear about ASL

The evidence on ASL is uneven: some basics are firmly documented, while others — especially counts and regional slang — are still fuzzy.

The balance: the basics are solid enough to practice; the exact numbers and timelines aren’t. Learn the signs, stay humble about the statistics.

What the experts say about ASL

“ASL is a complete, natural language that has the same linguistic properties as spoken languages, with grammar that differs from English.”

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) — U.S. health agency

The difference is movement: THANK-YOU travels out toward the person you are thanking, while GOOD travels down to your other hand.

ASL University / Lifeprint — ASL course and dictionary

Learning ASL doesn’t demand years before it becomes useful. Basic manners and everyday signs are weeks away, not semesters — and the fastest progress comes from practicing with a partner who can see your handshapes. For the home learner, the decision is clear: drill the directional difference between THANK-YOU and GOOD first, or your first real conversation will sign “good” when you meant “thanks.”

Frequently asked questions

The pattern: these FAQs show that ASL is a living language with regional dialects, not a universal gesture code.

Related reading: Thank You in Sign Language: ASL Basics & Common Signs · Thank You in Sign Language: ASL Sign, Steps & Tips