To sign “rabbit” in ASL, hold both hands near the top of your head with your index and middle fingers extended together (a “U” handshape), palms facing backward, and bend those two fingers down twice at the large knuckles. The motion mimics a rabbit’s ears twitching or flopping, making this one of the more intuitive signs to learn and remember.
Step-by-Step Handshape and Movement
Start by making a “U” handshape with each hand. Extend your index and middle fingers together while curling your ring finger, pinky, and thumb down. Hold both hands up near the sides of your head, roughly at ear level or slightly above, so your two extended fingers point upward like rabbit ears.
Your palms should face toward the back of your head, not straight out to the sides. This detail matters because real rabbit ears flop backward, and the sign reflects that. Once your hands are in position, bend your index and middle fingers down at the large knuckles (where your fingers meet your palm) and then straighten them again. Repeat this bending motion twice. The result looks like two floppy ears twitching, which is exactly the visual the sign is built on.
One-Handed vs. Two-Handed Versions
You’ll see both a one-handed and a two-handed version used by fluent signers. The one-handed version uses the same “U” handshape and bending motion but with just your dominant hand, placed near one side of your head. The two-handed version, with one hand on each side, is more common in casual conversation and especially popular when signing with children because of how clearly it evokes bunny ears.
Both versions are widely understood. Some signers also use a slightly flatter hand (closer to a “B” handshape with all four fingers extended) rather than isolating just the index and middle fingers. This variation is accepted and still reads clearly as “rabbit.”
Rabbit, Bunny, and Hare
In everyday ASL, “rabbit” and “bunny” use the same sign. There isn’t a separate, standardized sign that distinguishes a bunny from a rabbit the way English treats them as slightly different words. Context and facial expression handle the difference. If you’re talking about a tiny, fluffy pet bunny, your expression and the signs around it convey that meaning. For “hare,” most signers also use the same base sign, sometimes adding a fingerspelled clarification if the distinction between a hare and a rabbit actually matters in the conversation.
Tips for Remembering the Sign
This sign is one of the easiest to lock into memory because it looks like what it means. Your two fingers are the rabbit’s ears, and the bending motion is the ears flopping. If you picture a rabbit sitting in a field with its ears twitching, you’ve essentially got the sign memorized. The visual connection between the movement and the animal is strong enough that most people only need to see it once.
For kids learning the sign, pairing it with hopping around, wiggling their noses, or drawing a rabbit reinforces the connection. Animal signs like this one are among the earliest signs young children pick up because the handshapes are simple and the meaning is visually obvious. Children learning ASL typically develop a vocabulary of 250 to 350 signs during their early years, and iconic animal signs tend to appear early in that progression.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The most frequent error is pointing the fingers straight up with palms facing forward, like making a peace sign on top of your head. This looks stiff and doesn’t capture the natural backward flop of rabbit ears. Keep your palms angled toward the back of your head so the fingers bend in a backward arc.
Another common issue is bending at the wrong joint. The movement should happen at the large knuckles, where your fingers connect to your palm, not at the smaller finger joints. Bending at the fingertips creates a cramped, unclear motion. Think of the whole finger folding down like a hinge rather than curling inward.
Finally, keep the movement relaxed. Two smooth bends are all you need. Repeating the motion too quickly or too many times can change the rhythm in a way that looks unnatural to fluent signers. Aim for a gentle, easy flop, the way a real rabbit’s ears move.