To sign “take care” in ASL, you form both hands into a “K” handshape and tap (or “whack”) the right K hand against the left K hand twice. The movement comes mostly from your dominant hand, though the non-dominant hand moves slightly too. This is the version used as a parting expression, the way you’d say “take care!” when saying goodbye to someone.
How to Form the K Handshape
Before you can sign “take care,” you need to know the K handshape. Hold your hand up with your index finger pointing straight up and your middle finger angled outward, spread apart from the index finger in a V-like shape. Your thumb tucks between the index and middle fingers, pointing upward. The ring finger and pinky curl down into your palm. Both hands use this same handshape throughout the sign.
The Movement for “Take Care” as a Goodbye
Hold both K hands in front of your body. Tap the right K hand down onto the left K hand twice in a quick, light striking motion. Your dominant hand does most of the work, but the non-dominant hand can move slightly to meet it. Use a somewhat larger, more expressive movement when you’re using this sign as a farewell. Think of the energy you’d put into waving goodbye to a friend: relaxed, warm, a little bigger than a whisper.
This version works perfectly in contexts like “Take care, I’ll see you later.”
“Take Care Of” as a Verb
ASL uses a different sign when you mean “take care of” in the sense of looking after someone or something, like caring for a child or a pet. For this version, both hands stay together throughout the sign and trace a small circle twice. The circular path moves up, forward, down, and back, then repeats. Your hands don’t separate or tap; they move as a unit.
The distinction matters. If you’re telling someone you’ll take care of their dog while they’re away, you use the circular version. If you’re waving someone off at the door, you use the tapping K hands. Context and movement are what separate the two meanings, so getting the motion right ensures your message is clear.
Tips for Getting It Right
- Keep the K handshape clean. A sloppy handshape where the thumb slips out of position or the fingers close together can make the sign harder to read. Practice holding the K with both hands before adding movement.
- Tap, don’t slam. The contact between your hands should be a light, controlled tap. Two quick, even taps. Hitting too hard or too slow changes the rhythm and can look unnatural.
- Match your expression to the context. ASL relies heavily on facial expression to carry tone. When signing “take care” as a goodbye, a warm smile and a slight nod go a long way. Your face should match what you’d look like saying it out loud to a friend.
- Don’t confuse the two versions. The tapping K-hand sign and the circular “take care of” sign look nothing alike once you know them, but beginners sometimes mix up which motion goes with which meaning. Remember: tapping equals goodbye, circling equals caregiving.
Putting It Into a Sentence
ASL has its own grammar, so you won’t sign word-for-word the way you’d speak English. For a simple goodbye, you might sign “TAKE-CARE” followed by “SEE YOU LATER” or just use “TAKE-CARE” on its own with a wave. The sign is strong enough to stand alone as a farewell, much like how “take care” in English doesn’t need anything added to make sense at the end of a conversation.
If you’re telling someone you’ll look after something, you’d typically sign the object first (the person or thing being cared for), then use the circular “TAKE-CARE-OF” sign. ASL tends to establish the topic before the action, so the listener knows what you’re referring to before you describe what you’re doing with it.