How to Sign "I Love You" in American Sign Language

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Last Updated: May 2, 2023 Fact Checked

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In Amsterdam they may say "Ik hou van je." In Paris, they most certainly say "Je t'aime." In Albania, they'll say "Te dua," and in Zulu, "Ngiyakuthanda!" It's the phrase we know as "I love you," and this is how you can say it in American Sign Language (ASL).

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Signing "I Love You"

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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Signing "I Love You" Alternatively

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Don’t make it too tight, and smile when you do it—you’re about to tell somebody something wonderful.
This creates the sign language symbol for the personal pronoun "I.”^{[3]
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This would resemble horns with the two fingers. Unless you’re ready to rock, move quickly to the next step!^{[4]
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The index finger and thumb create the letter "L," and the pinky finger in concert with the thumb creates the "Y.”^{[5]
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How can I practice sign language?

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Watch tutorials on YouTube. I would recommend getting a tutor who can teach sign language as well, but the tutorials will help a lot.

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Which way do I hold my hand to sign "I love you"?

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You will hold your hand in multiple ways. You will point to yourself when you say "I" and then point to the person you're speaking to when you say "you."

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How do I say "Mary" in sign language?

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The name Mary is finger spelled by putting your thumb between your pinky and ring finger “M”, then close your fist and have your thumb next to your index finger “A”, the “R” is made by crossing your middle and index finger. Finally “Y” is made by sticking out your thumb and pinky. It should look like the letter “Y”.

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Tips

Hold your palm facing away from you when you do this.

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Make sure you have the thumb out. If not, this means (to some people) "rock on"! Meanwhile, not extending the index finger makes the "good vibes" sign, and not extending the pinky makes the "loser" sign.

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The "I love you" sign is also listed in Unicode as 🤟 (U+1F91F).

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