How to spell HAPPY BIRTHDAY in sign language
Happy Birthday fingerspelled in ASL is 13 handshapes, signed one after another with the palm facing out. Hold each for a beat and keep the hand in one place; the letters carry the word, not the movement.
H
A
PP
Y·
B
I
R
TH
DAYLetter by letter
- H Index and middle fingers extended together, pointing sideways; thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
- A A closed fist with the thumb resting upright against the side of the index finger.
- P Same handshape as K, but angled downward with the index and middle fingers pointing toward the ground.
- P Same handshape as K, but angled downward with the index and middle fingers pointing toward the ground.
- Y Thumb and pinky extended outward to opposite sides; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into the palm.
- B Four fingers straight up and together, thumb folded flat across the palm.
- I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
- R Index and middle fingers extended upward and crossed (middle finger over index); thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
- T A fist with the thumb tucked under the index finger, peeking out between the index and middle fingers.
- H Index and middle fingers extended together, pointing sideways; thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
- D Index finger extended upward; middle, ring, and pinky curled to meet the thumb, forming a small circle.
- A A closed fist with the thumb resting upright against the side of the index finger.
- Y Thumb and pinky extended outward to opposite sides; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into the palm.
Double letters. HAPPY BIRTHDAY has the same letter twice in a row. Do not re-form it: hold the handshape and slide the hand slightly to the side, or give it a small bounce, so the reader sees two.
Fingerspelling is how ASL handles names, places, brands and words without a sign of their own. Many everyday words do have a sign, so if you are learning ASL as a language, learn that sign too; this page shows how the word is spelled with the manual alphabet.