How to Sign Cooking in American Sign Language

How to Sign Cooking in ASL

Cooking is a universal language. Whether you’re in the kitchen of your home or in a restaurant in a foreign country, you can usually find a way to communicate with the cook by using sign language. In this article, we’ll teach you how to sign the basics of cooking in American Sign Language (ASL). We’ll cover everything from preparing ingredients to cooking a meal, so you’ll be able to communicate with cooks around the world.

So whether you’re a budding chef or just want to learn a new way to communicate, read on for all the information you need to know about signing cooking in ASL.

| ASL Sign | English Translation | Description |
|—|—|—|
| [](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/67/ASL_sign_for_cooking.svg/300px-ASL_sign_for_cooking.svg.png) | Cooking | The sign for cooking is made by first forming a “C” shape with your dominant hand, then moving it back and forth in front of your body. |

American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual language that uses hand gestures, facial expressions, and body language to communicate. It is the third most widely spoken language in the United States, after English and Spanish. ASL is used by deaf and hard-of-hearing people as well as hearing people who are learning the language.

There are many different gestures that can be used to sign cooking terms in ASL. In this article, we will discuss some of the most basic and common cooking gestures. We will also provide information on how to sign more advanced cooking terms, such as “stir,” “bake,” “fry,” and “grill.”

Basic Cooking Gestures

The following are some of the most basic cooking gestures in ASL:

• Ingredients: To sign “ingredients,” make a fist with your dominant hand and then open your fingers one by one.
• Cook: To sign “cook,” make a fist with your dominant hand and then move your hand in a circular motion.
• Eat: To sign “eat,” make a “C” shape with your dominant hand and then bring it to your mouth.
• Clean up: To sign “clean up,” make a “V” shape with your dominant hand and then move it in a sweeping motion.

More Advanced Cooking Gestures

The following are some of the more advanced cooking gestures in ASL:

• Stir: To sign “stir,” make a “C” shape with your dominant hand and then move it back and forth in a stirring motion.
• Bake: To sign “bake,” make a fist with your dominant hand and then move it in a circular motion while simultaneously moving your head back and forth.
• Fry: To sign “fry,” make a “C” shape with your dominant hand and then move it up and down in a frying motion.
• Grill: To sign “grill,” make a “C” shape with your dominant hand and then move it in a back and forth motion while simultaneously moving your head from side to side.

These are just a few of the many cooking gestures that can be used in ASL. With practice, you can learn to sign all of the basic and advanced cooking terms that you need to communicate about food and cooking with deaf and hard-of-hearing people.

Additional Resources

• [ASL University: Cooking](https://www.asluniversity.com/sign-language/cooking)
• [Lifeprint: Cooking](https://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/topics/cooking.htm)
• [Signing Savvy: Cooking](https://www.signingsavvy.com/signs/cooking)

Signing About Specific Dishes

How to sign “pizza”

To sign “pizza”, start by forming a “C” shape with your dominant hand. Then, move your hand in a circular motion, as if you were rolling out dough. Finally, make a “V” shape with your fingers and bring them together to represent the pizza slice.

How to sign “burger”

To sign “burger”, start by forming a “C” shape with your dominant hand. Then, move your hand up and down, as if you were flipping a burger patty. Finally, make a fist with your dominant hand and bring it to your mouth, as if you were taking a bite of a burger.

How to sign “spaghetti”

To sign “spaghetti”, start by forming a “U” shape with your dominant hand. Then, move your hand in a wavy motion, as if you were stirring spaghetti noodles. Finally, make a fist with your dominant hand and bring it to your mouth, as if you were eating spaghetti.

How to sign “chicken”

To sign “chicken”, start by forming a “C” shape with your dominant hand. Then, move your hand in a flapping motion, as if you were flapping a chicken’s wings. Finally, make a fist with your dominant hand and bring it to your mouth, as if you were eating chicken.

Signing About Cooking Tools

How to sign “knife”

To sign “knife”, start by forming a “V” shape with your dominant hand. Then, move your hand in a slicing motion, as if you were cutting something with a knife.

How to sign “fork”

To sign “fork”, start by forming a “U” shape with your dominant hand. Then, move your hand up and down, as if you were stabbing something with a fork.

How to sign “spoon”

To sign “spoon”, start by forming a “C” shape with your dominant hand. Then, move your hand in a scooping motion, as if you were scooping something with a spoon.

How to sign “pot”

To sign “pot”, start by forming a “O” shape with your dominant hand. Then, move your hand in a circular motion, as if you were stirring something in a pot.

How do I sign “cooking” in ASL?

To sign “cooking”, start with your dominant hand in the “H” handshape. Move your hand in a circular motion, as if you are stirring a pot. You can also add the sign for “food” to indicate what you are cooking.

What are some other signs related to cooking?

In addition to the sign for “cooking”, there are a number of other signs related to cooking in ASL. These include:

• Ingredients: To sign “ingredients”, hold your dominant hand in the “O” handshape and move it in a circular motion.
• Dish: To sign “dish”, hold your dominant hand in the “C” handshape and move it up and down.
• Cooking utensils: To sign “cooking utensils”, hold your dominant hand in the “V” handshape and move it in a chopping motion.
• Food: To sign “food”, hold your dominant hand in the “F” handshape and move it up and down.

How can I use these signs in a conversation?

You can use these signs to talk about cooking in a variety of ways. For example, you could say:

• “I’m cooking dinner.” (I ASL: “I cook dinner.”)
• “I’m making a cake.” (I ASL: “I make cake.”)
• “I’m hungry. Can you cook something for me?” (I ASL: “I hungry. You cook something for I?”)

Where can I learn more about ASL?

There are a number of resources available to learn more about ASL. These include:

• Online classes: There are a number of online classes available that teach ASL. Some popular options include ASL University and Signing Savvy.
• Books: There are a number of books available that teach ASL. Some popular options include “Signing Naturally” and “The ASL Dictionary.”
• Classes in your community: Many communities offer ASL classes. You can find classes by searching online or by contacting your local community center or library.

I’m hearing impaired. How can I communicate with people who use ASL?

If you are hearing impaired, there are a number of ways to communicate with people who use ASL. These include:

• Learning ASL: The best way to communicate with people who use ASL is to learn the language yourself. There are a number of resources available to help you learn ASL, such as the ones listed above.
• Using an interpreter: If you are unable to learn ASL, you can use an interpreter to help you communicate with people who use the language. Interpreters can be found through a variety of organizations, such as the National Association of the Deaf (NAD).
• Using technology: There are a number of technological tools that can help you communicate with people who use ASL. These tools include video relay services, which allow you to communicate with people who use ASL over the phone, and sign language interpreters, which can be used to translate spoken language into sign language.

I’m interested in learning more about ASL. What should I do?

If you are interested in learning more about ASL, there are a number of things you can do. These include:

• Take a class: The best way to learn ASL is to take a class. There are a number of classes available, both online and in person.
• Read books and articles: There are a number of books and articles available that can teach you about ASL. Some popular options include “Signing Naturally” and “The ASL Dictionary.”
• Watch videos: There are a number of videos available that can teach you about ASL. Some popular options include YouTube videos and TED Talks.
• Practice with friends and family: The best way to learn ASL is to practice with friends and family. You can practice signing words, phrases, and sentences. You can also practice reading and writing ASL.

In this blog post, we have discussed how to sign cooking in ASL. We covered the basic signs for cooking verbs, ingredients, and utensils. We also provided some tips on how to sign recipes and make your cooking more accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

We hope that this blog post has been helpful. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Key Takeaways

• The basic signs for cooking verbs include: mix, stir, bake, fry, and boil.
• The basic signs for ingredients include: flour, sugar, salt, butter, eggs, and milk.
• The basic signs for utensils include: knife, fork, spoon, pot, pan, and oven.
• To sign a recipe, start by signing the name of the dish. Then, sign the ingredients and the steps in the recipe.
• Make your cooking more accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing by signing recipes, providing written instructions, and using visual aids.