Grammar

Subject and object

Similar to English, every sentence consists of a subject and an object.

  • The subject is the person who is doing something (verb or action).

    The main focus of the sentence can either be a person, place, thing, idea, or activity.

  • Indirect or direct object is the person who is receiving something (verb or action).

  • Oblique object is the place where the action occurs at.

    The object can be a verb, noun, an adjective or a classifier.

Basic word order

The basic word order is either subject, verb, object, or subject, object, verb. For example:

  • Little boy chase dog.
  • I lost my book.

Question structure

  • The language is very people-centric, so questions usually start with the person, rather than the 6W (who, what, where, when, why, which) and 1H (how) in English.
  • The 6W and 1H are usually placed at the end of a sentence.
  • Always end a question by doing the gesture for "you", to indicate that you are waiting for a reply.

Sentence structure

Click here for examples of sentence structure.

  • Time usually comes first, before everything else.
  • The word "will" goes at the end of a sentence.
  • When talking about multiple items, pick a location for each item and name the locations after the item.
  • Make use of the locations of the items when signing.
  • Pick the locations in a left-to-right or right-to-left order based on your dominant hand.
  • Try to minimise the use of adverbs of time and prepositions (they are sometimes still needed), as sign language has 3 dimensions to express time and location, unlike most spoken languages like English, which only have a single linear dimension to express both time and location, so prepositions and adverbs of time are necessary to order items.

Verb types

  1. Plain verbs

    The signer can't show the indicated verb.

  2. Indicating or directional verbs

    The signer is able to show the directional verb toward the second person or the third person and vice versa, and between the second and third person.

  3. Spatial verbs

    The signer is able to show the location of the spatial verb.

Examples

Plain or non-directionalIndicating or directionalSpatial or locative
BathHelpFly to
WalkGiveDrive to
DreamBorrowThrow at or Throw to
WaitTakeRub at
WritePayWalk to
VomitDonateTouch at
WorkExchangeSlap on
ReadKillCount
Take photoCopyTraffic jam
Take careScoldSurgery on
YawnKissStab person

5 parameters of sign language

Each signed word is made up of 5 parameters:

  1. Hand-shape
  2. Movement
  3. Location
  4. Palm orientation
  5. Non-manual signals or markers

Each of the 5 parameters has its set of primes, which are the smallest units of sign language.

Hence, there is a need to be precise in signing as what we sign can affect meaning, which has an impact on communication, as well as comprehension.

Hand-shape

This refers to the shape of the hand forming the sign.

The main hand-shape seen in all sign languages with some variations are "A", "S", "1", "5", "B", "O" and "C" hand-shapes.

For example, "girl" and "deaf".

Palm orientation

This refers to the orientation of the hand or palm. It is essentially where your palm is facing during a sign.

For example, "name" and "sit".

Location

This refers to where the sign makes contact on your body or where you hand is located, like on your forehead, in the air, on your chest, etc. Location itself doesn't have an independent meaning. It is part of the sign.

For example, "mother" and "father", or "summer" and "dry".

Movement

This refers to the movement of your hand. It can be anything from up and down, side to side, twisting, and many others, or even no movement at all.

For example, "train" and "sit".

Facial expression

This parameter is also known as non-manual markers. This can be the movement of your eyebrows, mouth, eye-gaze or body position.

For example, a question versus a rhetorical question.

Non-manual signals, or NMS for short, are grammatical and semantic features that do not involve the hands. They include mouth morphemes, eye gazes, facial expressions, body shifting, and head tilting. They are also used to modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.

Non-manual signals also convey grammatical information in sentence types by including the usage of visual grammar, visual sequencing and agreements with the application of appropriate classifiers.

For example, if you are mad at someone, or about something, you may not have to use even one sign. You can just show it using your facial expression.

Alternatively, if someone asked you a "yes" or "no" question, you could simply nod or shake your head accordingly.

Declarative statement

This statement is the most basic in every language. Usually, declarative statements do not signify any non-manual signal.

Examples:

  • I have a car.

    I have car.

  • I need to buy a book.

    I need buy book.

  • My mother is busy.

    Mother busy.

  • She always works late.

    She (point at person) always work late.

Wh-word questions

Wh-word questions are questions that cannot be answered with just yes or no responses and are usually used with interrogative signs like "what", "who", "when", "where", "which", "why", and "how".

Wh-words usually appear at the end of a sentence, but they can also appear at the beginning of a sentence.

Non-manual signals for wh-word questions are:

  • Brows furrowed or squinted eyes
  • Head tilted forward slightly
  • Eye contact made with the person being asked
  • The last sign is held until a response is received

Examples:

  • Where do we meet?

    1. We meet where?
    2. Where we meet?

  • When do we submit out homework?

    Homework send when?

  • What is your name?

    1. What your name? You.
    2. Your name what? You.

  • Who is the woman over there?

    (Point to woman) woman (squint eyes) who?

Yes-no questions

Yes-no are questions that receive either a yes or no responses in return.

Non-manual signals for yes-no questions are:

  • Raised eyebrows or widened eyes
  • Forward tilting of the head or body
  • Eye contact is usually made with the person being asked
  • The last sign is held until a response is received

Examples:

  • Are you a teacher?

    You teacher? You.

  • Is sister happy?

    Sister happy? You.

  • Have you eaten

    You eat finish? (body bend forward)

  • Do you know who she is?

    You know who she (point to the person)?

Rhetorical questions

Rhetorical questions are not real questions since the addressee is not expected to respond, but rather provides a way for the signer to introduce and draw attention to the information he or she will supply.

Non-manual signals for rhetorical questions are:

  • An eyebrow raised
  • Head slightly tilted

A wh-word question usually occurs with this type of question.

In other words, rhetorical questions differ from wh-word questions in that the eyebrows are raised for rhetorical questions but furrowed for wh-word questions.

Examples:

  • I flew to Kuala Lumpur as I wanted to visit my grandmother.

    I fly Kuala Lumpur. Why? Visit grandmother.

  • How do I go to Hong Kong? Fly.

    I go Hong Kong. How? Fly.

  • When do I go to Taiwan? Likely next week.

    I go Taiwan. When? Next week.

  • I go to Japan. Why? For my brother's wedding.

    1. I go Japan. Why? My brother wedding.
    2. I go Japan for my brother wedding.

Negation statement

Non-manual signals for negation statements are:

Examples:

  • I am not tired.

    I (shake head) not tired.

  • You are not weak.

    You weak not (shake head).

  • I am not happy.

    I (shake head) not happy.

  • I cannot understand the presenter because he used a lot of jargon terms.

    Presenter big/jargon word, I (shake head) not/don't.

Assertion statement

In this statement, the grammatical sign is signed as "nod" for a single nod, or "nodding" for repeated nods. It can either be used to show agreement, or answer affirmatively.

Non-manual signals for assertion statements are:

  • Head nods

Examples:

  • Yes, you are right.

    Yes (nod head). You right.

  • He has completed his studies.

    He (nod head) study finish.

  • Yes, she is married.

    Yes (nod head), she married (raise eyebrows).

  • The bus has arrived.

    Bus arrived already (nod head once).

Command statement

Command statements are commands with signals such as stressing or emphasising the verb in the sentence. The facial grammar is usually accompanied by either pursing of the mouth, or having an intense glare.

Non-manual signals for command statements are:

  • Pursed mouth
  • Intense eye gaze, or an intense glare

Examples:

  • Sit down!

    (Big signs) Sit down!

  • Shut up!

    1. (Zip mouth with the "G" hand)
    2. (Cross two "H" signs with the palm out, and place it over the other person's mouth)

  • Stop talking!

    (Big signs) Stop talking!

  • Don't touch it!

    Don't!

Conditionals

Conditionals express a condition that the topic currently being discussed depends on.

An example of a conditional sentence in English is: "If it rains tomorrow, the game will be cancelled."

Non-manual signals for conditional sentences are:

  • Raised eyebrows
  • Head title
  • Short pause between if and then

Examples:

  • If it rained, the game will be cancelled.

    Rain (pause), game cancel.

  • If it rained, I am not going for swimming.

    Rain (pause), I not go swim.

  • If you are going, I will be going.

    1. You go (pause), I go.
    2. You go (pause), I follow.

  • If it is still raining, I am not going out.

    Rain continue flood (pause), I not go.