To sign “everyone” in ASL, you make a thumbs-up handshape (sometimes called an “A” handshape or “10” handshape) with your dominant hand, then brush the thumb down along the knuckles of your non-dominant fist in a sweeping motion. The sign finishes by transitioning into a “1” handshape (index finger pointing up) as your dominant hand pulls away. The whole movement is smooth and takes about one second.
Step-by-Step Handshape and Movement
Start with your non-dominant hand in a fist, held comfortably in front of your chest with the knuckles facing slightly upward. Your dominant hand forms a thumbs-up shape, with the thumb extended and fingers curled in. Bring the pad of your dominant thumb down against the top of your non-dominant fist, then brush it forward and downward along the knuckles in one fluid motion. As your thumb clears the non-dominant hand, extend your index finger so you end in a pointing-up handshape.
Think of it as your thumb “rolling” across the knuckles of your other hand, then your dominant hand naturally opens into a point. The movement should feel relaxed, not stiff or jerky. Both hands stay in front of your torso, roughly at chest height.
Why the “E” Handshape Version Is Different
You may come across an alternate version where the signer forms the letter “E” with their dominant hand and moves it in a circular motion. This is an initialized sign, meaning the handshape is borrowed from the English fingerspelled alphabet to match the first letter of the English word “everyone.” In ASL linguistics, this is considered a feature of Signed Exact English (SEE), not standard ASL.
Initialization is generally frowned upon in the Deaf community because it maps English vocabulary onto ASL rather than using ASL’s own visual grammar. The thumbs-up-to-index-finger version described above is the one widely accepted and used by native ASL signers. If you’re learning ASL as a second language, sticking with the non-initialized form will be understood more broadly and received more positively.
Common Beginner Mistakes
Small differences in handshape, movement, and palm orientation can change the meaning of an ASL sign entirely. Here are the most frequent errors learners make with “everyone”:
- Skipping the thumb brush. If you go straight from a fist to a pointing finger without making contact along your non-dominant hand’s knuckles, the sign loses its meaning. The brushing contact is what distinguishes “everyone” from unrelated signs.
- Stiff or choppy movement. The sign should flow in one continuous arc. Breaking it into two separate motions (touch, then point) looks unnatural and can confuse the person you’re signing with.
- Wrong starting handshape. Beginning with an open hand or a loose fist on your dominant hand changes the sign. Make sure your thumb is clearly extended and your other fingers are tucked in before you start.
- Signing too far from your body. ASL signs have a defined signing space, roughly from the top of your head to your waist and shoulder to shoulder. Signing “everyone” with your arms extended outward looks exaggerated and is harder to read.
Where “Everyone” Fits in a Sentence
ASL sentence structure is different from English. Instead of subject-verb-object order, ASL typically follows a Time + Topic + Comment pattern. Time indicators come first, then the main topic (usually a noun), then a comment about that topic (usually including the verb).
Because “everyone” functions as a noun referring to a group of people, it often serves as the topic and goes near the beginning of the sentence. For example, to say “Everyone went to the store yesterday,” the ASL structure would look something like: YESTERDAY + EVERYONE + STORE + GO-TO. You establish the time frame, name the group, identify the place, and then describe the action.
When “everyone” appears in a command or a question, it can also come first as a topicalized element. For instance, “Everyone sit down” could be signed: EVERYONE + SIT-DOWN, with raised eyebrows during “everyone” to mark it as the established topic. Topicalization is one of ASL’s most common grammatical tools, and raising your eyebrows slightly while signing the topic signals to your conversation partner that you’re setting the scene before delivering the main point.
Regional and Dialectal Variation
Like any living language, ASL has regional dialects. Signs can vary depending on geography, age, school background, and community. Black American Sign Language (BASL), for example, has its own distinct vocabulary and style, including more expansive use of body language and different signs for certain words and phrases. While the core sign for “everyone” is widely shared, you may occasionally encounter slight variations in how it’s produced depending on who you’re signing with.
If someone signs “everyone” in a way that looks a little different from what you learned, that doesn’t necessarily mean one version is wrong. Context and community norms matter. The best approach is to learn the most widely taught version first (the thumb-brush-to-index-point described here), then stay open to natural variation as you interact with more signers.