ASL For Life - A Brief Page on Facial Expression

Facial expression is very important in ASL.  It is your tone in ASL, and can also change the context of your sentence.

To say "I HAPPY" in ASL but while frowning would really be saying, "I'm not happy."  So, you must smile when you are saying you're happy in ASL.
It's the same with saying "I SAD" in ASL but smiling, which would really be saying, "I'm not sad."
Making sure you have the proper facial expressions is important to conveying your sentence correctly!

Topic Facial Structure

The simplest form of ASL sentence structure is Topic + Comment.  When naming the topic of a sentence, there is a specific body language and facial expression to follow.

___T____  _C_.
MY DOG CUTE.  -  My dog is cute.


The topic, marked by ___T____, should always be signed using these body languages and this facial expression:

• Lean back slightly
• Raise eyebrows (like a Y/N question)
• Slight head tilt

When you are finished marking the topic of the sentence, then you will move up straight again, back to a normal position, and sign your comment.

*The facial expression in questions is explained on the Questions in ASL page.