American Sign Language: "throw" The right sign for "throw" depends on your meaning. Start by placing the pad of your thumb on the fingernails of your index and middle fingers. Change that handshape into an "H" handshape as you thrust your hand in the direction of the path of whatever is being thrown. If you do the movement toward a garbage can and/or downward and off to the side this version is commonly used to mean "Throw away." If you identify a certain object such as a "ball" you can then use this sign to show the speed, manner, and direction in which the ball is thrown. THROW (general) Example: "Throw it away" (downward movement -- as if throwing something into a garbage can) Also see: Animation: "THROW" Note: If you are throwing something very far, then it would be appropriate to use a "plosive" mouth morpheme as if you were saying "boo" or "ptoo." THROW as in "toss a ball" You can can use a more "mime-like" method to show specifically how a ball (or similar item) was thrown. THROW-an-object: If you mean "throw" as in "abandon" or "leave it there" use "5"-handshapes on each hand and mime the act of tossing a sack or bag onto the ground. ABANDON or "Leave it there": If you mean "throw" as in "just put it over there somewhere" start with flattened-"O" handshapes and thrust them toward the destination as you change the handshapes into loose "5"-handshapes. For more information on "putting" things where they go, see "PUT." If you mean "throw up" as in "vomit" see: VOMIT You can learn American Sign Language (ASL) online at American Sign Language University ™ ASL resources by Lifeprint.com © Dr. William Vicars 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 >

American Sign Language: "throw"

The right sign for "throw" depends on your meaning.

Start by placing the pad of your thumb on the fingernails of your index and middle fingers. Change that handshape into an "H" handshape as you thrust your hand in the direction of the path of whatever is being thrown.
If you do the movement toward a garbage can and/or downward and off to the side this version is commonly used to mean "Throw away." If you identify a certain object such as a "ball" you can then use this sign to show the speed, manner, and direction in which the ball is thrown.

THROW (general)

Example: "Throw it away" (downward movement -- as if throwing something into a garbage can)

Also see: Animation: "THROW"
Note: If you are throwing something very far, then it would be appropriate to use a "plosive" mouth morpheme as if you were saying "boo" or "ptoo."

THROW as in "toss a ball"
You can can use a more "mime-like" method to show specifically how a ball (or similar item) was thrown.

THROW-an-object:

If you mean "throw" as in "abandon" or "leave it there" use "5"-handshapes on each hand and mime the act of tossing a sack or bag onto the ground.

ABANDON or "Leave it there":

If you mean "throw" as in "just put it over there somewhere" start with flattened-"O" handshapes

and thrust them toward the destination as you change the handshapes into loose "5"-handshapes.

For more information on "putting" things where they go, see "PUT."

If you mean "throw up" as in "vomit" see: VOMIT

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

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 >

American Sign Language University ™