American Sign Language: "frustrated" To do the sign for "frustrated" smack the back of your hand into your face. Do it twice. Tip: Don't hurt yourself. (Yes, you're welcome for that outstanding bit of advice. No, that's alright -- no need to send money.) FRUSTRATED / frustrating / frustration: Memory aid: Think of constantly "running into a brick wall." That would be frustrating, yes? Note: On second thought, go ahead and send money. Sample sentence: YOU FEEL FRUSTRATED WHEN? (When do you feel frustrated?) Notes: The sign FRUSTRATED can actually serve as a conjunction. Meaning? You could sign, I DRIVE-to STORE, FRUSTRATED, CLOSED. I DRIVE BANK, FRUSTRATED, CLOSED, I DRIVE HOME. The sign "FRUSTRATED" in those situations would mean "and it was" as well as expressing the feeling of frustration. When you use "FRUSTRATED" as a conjunction you only use a single movement. (You smack your face just once--not twice--for the conjunction version). I know it is hard for some of your to only smack yourself once, and you may indeed deserve the extra smacking-- but try to control yourself for the sake of good signing when doing conjunctions. Thanks, I appreciate it. A student writes: Hello, Just wondering if you could clarify what you mean by using the sign 'frustrated' as a conjunction. - Megan Response: Hello Megan, In English you use conjunctions such as "and," "but," & "if" to connect sentences or parts of sentences. You also use conjunctions to help "coordinate" words in the same clause (Source: Google). For example, you might have a list such as item 1, item 2, and item 3. (Notice how we use the word "and' in that sentence to clarify that "item 3" is the last item in the list.) In ASL you can use the sign FRUSTRATED to help connect or coordinate certain clauses in your sentences. (A clause is just a part of a sentence that usually has some kind of subject and says something about that subject). In the example sentence: "I DRIVE-to STORE, FRUSTRATED, CLOSED. I DRIVE BANK, FRUSTRATED, CLOSED, I DRIVE HOME" it might help to think of the sign FRUSTRATED as meaning "and I was frustrated that." Thus in context the sign FRUSTRATED doesn't just mean "frustrated" but rather it means "and I was frustrated that..." Thus we are using the sign FRUSTRATED to express the concept of "and" as well as the concept of "frustrated" (at the same time). That is why we say FRUSTRATED can (sometimes) function as a conjunction -- because sometimes we use it as a conjunction. - Dr. Bill Want to help support ASL University? It's easy: DONATE (Thanks!) (You don't need a PayPal account. Just look for the credit card logos and click continue.) Another way to help is to buy Dr. Bill's "Superdisk." Dr. Bill's new iPhone "Fingerspelling Practice" app is now available! CHECK IT OUT > Want even more ASL resources? Visit the "ASL Training Center!" (Subscription Extension of ASLU) CHECK IT OUT > Bandwidth slow? Check out "ASLUniversity.com" (a free mirror of Lifeprint.com less traffic, fast access) VISIT > You can learn American Sign Language (ASL) online at American Sign Language University ™ Lifeprint.com © Dr. William Vicars

American Sign Language: "frustrated"

To do the sign for "frustrated" smack the back of your hand into your face. Do it twice.
Tip: Don't hurt yourself. (Yes, you're welcome for that outstanding bit of advice. No, that's alright -- no need to send money.)

FRUSTRATED / frustrating / frustration:

Memory aid: Think of constantly "running into a brick wall." That would be frustrating, yes?

Note: On second thought, go ahead and send money.

Sample sentence: YOU FEEL FRUSTRATED WHEN? (When do you feel frustrated?)

Notes:
The sign FRUSTRATED can actually serve as a conjunction. Meaning? You could sign, I DRIVE-to STORE, FRUSTRATED, CLOSED. I DRIVE BANK, FRUSTRATED, CLOSED, I DRIVE HOME.
The sign "FRUSTRATED" in those situations would mean "and it was" as well as expressing the feeling of frustration.
When you use "FRUSTRATED" as a conjunction you only use a single movement. (You smack your face just once--not twice--for the conjunction version). I know it is hard for some of your to only smack yourself once, and you may indeed deserve the extra smacking-- but try to control yourself for the sake of good signing when doing conjunctions. Thanks, I appreciate it.

A student writes:
Hello,
Just wondering if you could clarify what you mean by using the sign 'frustrated' as a conjunction.
- Megan

Response:
Hello Megan,
In English you use conjunctions such as "and," "but," & "if" to connect sentences or parts of sentences. You also use conjunctions to help "coordinate" words in the same clause (Source: Google). For example, you might have a list such as item 1, item 2, and item 3. (Notice how we use the word "and' in that sentence to clarify that "item 3" is the last item in the list.)

In ASL you can use the sign FRUSTRATED to help connect or coordinate certain clauses in your sentences. (A clause is just a part of a sentence that usually has some kind of subject and says something about that subject).

In the example sentence: "I DRIVE-to STORE, FRUSTRATED, CLOSED. I DRIVE BANK, FRUSTRATED, CLOSED, I DRIVE HOME" it might help to think of the sign FRUSTRATED as meaning "and I was frustrated that." Thus in context the sign FRUSTRATED doesn't just mean "frustrated" but rather it means "and I was frustrated that..."
Thus we are using the sign FRUSTRATED to express the concept of "and" as well as the concept of "frustrated" (at the same time). That is why we say FRUSTRATED can (sometimes) function as a conjunction -- because sometimes we use it as a conjunction.

- Dr. Bill

Want to help support ASL University? It's easy: DONATE (Thanks!)
(You don't need a PayPal account. Just look for the credit card logos and click continue.)

Another way to help is to buy Dr. Bill's "Superdisk."

Dr. Bill's new iPhone "Fingerspelling Practice" app is now available! CHECK IT OUT >

Want even more ASL resources? Visit the "ASL Training Center!" (Subscription Extension of ASLU) CHECK IT OUT >

Bandwidth slow? Check out "ASLUniversity.com" (a free mirror of Lifeprint.com less traffic, fast access) VISIT >

You can learn American Sign Language (ASL) online at American Sign Language University ™
Lifeprint.com © Dr. William Vicars