“I Love You” in Sign Language: A Complete ASL Guide

Je t'aime. Te amo. Ik hou van je. There are so many ways to say “I love you” when speaking, but have you thought about how to say it without verbal words? Saying or signing “I love you” in American Sign Language (ASL) is super easy and fun to do! In this article, we’ll teach you how to sign “I love you” no matter the occasion.

“I Love You” in ASL: Quick Steps

To sign “I love you” in American Sign Language (ASL), make a fist and raise your pointer finger and thumb to create an “L” shape. Then, lift up your pinky finger while keeping your middle and ring fingers bent.

Section 1 of 5:

How to Sign “I Love You” in ASL

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1
Sign “I love you” informally by making a 🤟 sign. This hand sign is widely known as the universal sign for love, and in ASL, it’s the combination of the letters I, L, and Y, which stand for “I love you.” This sign is great to use casually with friends, coworkers, or those you just met! Here’s how to make this gesture:^{[1]
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- Place your hand in front of you with your palm out and make a fist.
- Hold up your pinky finger.
- Hold up your pointer finger.
- Hold out your thumb.
- Shake your hand to emphasize your love (if you’d like).
2
Sign “I love you” formally by using the signs for “I,” “love,” and “you” in order. Another way to sign “I love you” is to point to yourself, sign the word “love,” and point to the person you love. This version of “I love you” is seen as more emotive and empathetic and is often reserved for close loved ones and romantic partners. Here’s how to do it:^{[2]
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- Use your pointer finger to point to yourself.
- Make a fist with both hands, and cross them over your chest as if you’re hugging yourself.^{[3]
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- Use your pointer finger again to point to your loved one.
- In New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) and British Sign Language (BSL), sometimes the hands are laid flat across the chest rather than in fists for this gesture.^{[4]
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Section 2 of 5:

ASL Phrases with the “I Love You” Sign

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“I really love you.” To quickly sign “I really love you,” cross your pointer and middle fingers, lift your pinky, and extend your thumb—leaving only your ring finger bent. Essentially, you’re doing the “ILY” sign, but making the sign for the letter “R” with your middle and index fingers (which stands for the “really” in “I really love you.”)^{[5]
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- If you’re going with the longer and more formal way of signing “I love you” in ASL, sign “I” + “REALLY” + “LOVE” + “YOU” according to these directions:
  - I: Use your index finger to point to yourself.
  - REALLY: Place the tip of your index finger on your chin, then move it straight forward from your body,
  - LOVE: Curl both hands into fists, then cross them over your chest as if hugging yourself.
  - YOU: Point your index finger toward the person you’re directing your statement to.
2
“I’m falling in love with you.” To tell a partner or significant other that you’re falling in love with them, start by pointing to your chest with your index finger. Then, hold your opposite hand flat out in front of you with your palm up. In one fluid motion, brush your original index finger against the tip of your nose, bring it forward (as if about to point), and bounce your still-pointed hand along your flat hand twice.^{[6]
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- Visualize this sign as your index finger representing your nose “bouncing” along the “ground” (aka, your flat palm)—just as it might if you were to literally fall in love.
3
“Love it!” Sign the exclamation “Love it!” by kissing your fist and pumping it in the air. This sign is a great way to let someone know you love something or think something’s awesome. Generally, this sign doesn’t translate to anything super specific but generates emotions of phrases like “Love it!” or “That was awesome!” Here’s how to do it:^{[7]
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- Hold your fist up to your lips.
- Kiss the back of your hand.
- Pump your fist forward toward your opposite shoulder.
- This sign is also the main way to say you love anything that’s not a person or animal.
4
“Bye, I love you.” How to say, “Goodbye! I love you!” in American Sign Language (ASL) is fairly simple. Choose how you’d like to say “I love you”—casually with a 🤟 sign or formally by signing “I,” “love,” and “you” separately. Then, simply put a farewell sign at the front. Here’s how to say “bye” in ASL:^{[8]
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- Hold up your dominant hand palm face out.
- Bend your fingers up and down in a waving pattern.
5
“I love you all!” To casually tell a group of people that you love them, make a 🤟 sign with your hand, then sign “all,” like so:^{[9]
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- Hold one hand by your chest, palm face up.
- Place your other hand above it, palm face out.
- Create a “C” swirling pattern with the hand held face out, bringing it out, down, and back up to your other hand (think of it like swatting a fly).
- Bring the back of the hand you swirled into the palm of your other hand.
- For a simpler version, you can also make a 🤟 sign and drag it across your body from shoulder to shoulder.

Section 3 of 5:

“I Love You” ASL Sign Origins & Cultural Significance

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The American Sign Language (ASL) sign for “I love you” is a combination of the ASL fingerspelling for the letters I, L, and Y. I is created by holding up the pinkie, L is made by holding up the pointer finger and thumb, and Y is formed by extending the pinky and thumb. When combined, these letters make the 🤟 shape to say “I love you.”^{[10]
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- This sign also has a lot of importance to Deaf Culture and the Deaf Community. It’s considered emblematic and a strong symbol of the Deaf Community, especially considering its now-frequent use in mainstream and hearing communities.

Section 4 of 5:

Does the 🤘 sign mean “I love you”?

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When the thumb is held down while making an “I love you” sign, it is no longer an ASL sign. For hearing people, this gesture is known as “Devil’s Horn” and is often used to say, “Rock on!”^{[11]
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Section 5 of 5:

More Signs Related to “I Love You”

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Curious to learn other American Sign Language (ASL) gestures? Check out these popular words and phrases and how you can sign them:
- Hug: Cross 2 fists over your chest, as if in a “hugging” motion.^{[13]
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- Kiss: With both hands, press your fingers against your thumbs to create a “puppet” shape. Then, bring the tips of your fingers from each hand together, as if your hands were kissing.^{[14]
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- Bye-bye: Hold up one hand, palm face out, and wag your fingers up and down.^{[15]
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- Good night: Tap your chin with the fingertips of one hand, then bring your hand down in a cupping motion over your other wrist.^{[16]
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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

Signing “I love you” is the same universally across all sign languages (which is quite rare)! So, if you want to sign “I love you” in New Zealand with New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) or the United Kingdom with British Sign Language (BSL), you can use the same gestures.^{[17]
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It doesn’t matter which hand you sign “I love you” with. Most prefer to use their dominant hand, but you could use whichever feels more natural to you—however, you must use the same dominant hand throughout your signing. For example, if you choose to sign “I” with your right hand, you must also sign “YOU” with your right hand.

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

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