How to spell SHENZHEN in sign language
Shenzhen fingerspelled in ASL is 8 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.
S
H
E
N
ZHENLetter by letter
- S A closed fist with the thumb wrapped across the front of all curled fingers.
- H Index and middle fingers extended together, pointing sideways; thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
- E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
- N A fist with the thumb tucked under two fingers (index and middle), peeking out between the middle and ring fingers.
- Z Index finger extended straight out from a fist, drawing a Z path in the air.
- H Index and middle fingers extended together, pointing sideways; thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
- E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
- N A fist with the thumb tucked under two fingers (index and middle), peeking out between the middle and ring fingers.
Motion letter. Z cannot be held still: it is drawn in the air rather than posed. Everything else in SHENZHEN is a static handshape.
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.