To sign “chat” in ASL, hold both hands in an open-5 handshape (all fingers spread apart) just below your chest, with palms facing outward and your wrists angled toward each other. Then shake both hands back and forth a couple of times. The movement represents the back-and-forth nature of a conversation.
Breaking Down the Handshape
The open-5 handshape is one of the most common in ASL. All five fingers are spread wide and extended, with no fingers curled or tucked. Think of it as holding your hands up with fingers fanned out, like you’re showing someone the number five on each hand.
Position both hands in front of your upper chest, roughly at collarbone height. Your palms should face away from your body (toward the person you’re signing to), and the insides of your wrists should face each other. There should be a few inches of space between the two hands. From this starting position, shake both hands simultaneously with small, quick movements. Two or three shakes is typical. The motion is loose and relaxed, not stiff or exaggerated.
How “Chat” Differs From “Talk”
ASL has several related signs that beginners sometimes mix up. The sign for “talk” uses a different handshape and location. For “talk,” you typically hold one hand near your mouth with fingers together, moving it forward repeatedly. The sign for “chat” uses both hands lower on the body and carries a more casual, conversational feeling. “Talk” is more general, while “chat” implies an informal, relaxed exchange.
The sign for “conversation” is also closely related. It often involves alternating movement between two hands near the face, representing two people taking turns speaking. “Chat” leans more toward the casual side of this spectrum.
Signing About Online Chat
If you want to talk about chatting online, through text, or in a chat room, the sign is modified or combined with context signs. For “chat room” or online chatting, signers typically pair the concept with signs for “internet” or “computer” to make it clear the conversation is digital rather than face-to-face. You might sign “internet” followed by “chat,” or use a modified version that incorporates typing-like movements to represent text-based communication. Context and the sentence around the sign do a lot of the work here.
Tips for Getting It Right
A few common mistakes to watch for when practicing this sign:
- Keep the movement small. New signers tend to exaggerate the shaking motion. The movement should come from your wrists, not your whole arms. Think of it as a gentle, quick shake rather than waving your hands around.
- Relax your fingers. Your fingers should be spread but not rigid. Tension in the hands makes signs look unnatural and can change their meaning.
- Use both hands equally. Both hands mirror each other in this sign. They should be the same shape, at the same height, and move at the same time. One hand shouldn’t dominate the other.
- Watch your palm orientation. Palms face outward, not toward each other or toward the ceiling. Changing the palm direction can alter the sign’s meaning entirely.
Why Two Hands Matter for This Sign
ASL uses both one-handed and two-handed signs, and the choice isn’t random. Two-handed signs in ASL tend to represent concepts that are symmetrical or involve two parties. “Chat” is a natural fit for two hands because it represents two people exchanging ideas back and forth. The mirrored movement of both hands visually captures the give-and-take rhythm of a conversation.
Many ASL signs that describe interactions between people, like “meet,” “argue,” and “discuss,” also use two hands for this same reason. Recognizing this pattern can help you remember the sign more easily and start to build intuition for how ASL represents meaning through movement and space.