American Sign Language

Alternative forms

• This sign may be produced in various orientations, often with the palm facing back.

Production

• This one-handed ASL sign is produced as follows:
  1. 
     Posture the dominant hand in the “4” handshape about half an arm's length in front of the shoulder, dominant palm facing back.
  2. Hold the hand briefly in this posture.

Number

(ASL gloss: FOUR)

1. four; 4

Usage notes

• Some people always sign the number 4 with the palm forward. For others, however, the palm faces back for the actual number 4 but the palm faces forward when used as a part of a longer number like 555-1234, as a time (e.g. four o'clock), and in certain other numeral-incorporating constructs.
• Like other single-digit ASL numerals, this sign is incorporated into several other signs to indicate a four instances. Several of the derived terms below show that numeral incorporation.
• This can also be used in classifier constructions to represent four upright individuals acting together.

Derived terms

• 4@Palm-FingerUp-FlatB@CenterChesthigh-FingerUp RoundSurfaceSmall 4@Palm-FingerForwardUp-FlatB@CenterChesthigh-FingerUp ‎(“four minutes”)
• 4@Palm-FingerUp-FlatB@CenterChesthigh-FingerUp RoundSurface 4@Palm-FingerUp-FlatB@CenterChesthigh-FingerUp ‎(“four hours”)
• 4@SideNeckhigh-FingerUp-Claw5@BaseForearm-PalmDown RoundVert 4@BaseForearm-FingerAcross-Claw5@BaseForearm-PalmDown ‎(“four days”)
• 4@BasePalm-PalmDown-FlatB@CenterChesthigh-PalmUp 4@Finger-PalmDown-FlatB@CenterChesthigh-PalmUp ‎(“four weeks”)
• 4@BackFinger-FingerAcross-1@CenterChesthigh-FingerUp 4@BackHand-FingerAcross-1@CenterChesthigh-PalmUp ‎(“four months”)
• 4@Chin RoundMidline 4@FromChin ‎(“four years old”)

See also

• Previous number: 3@Side-PalmBack ‎(“three”)
• Next number: 5@Side-PalmBack ‎(“five”)
• For use as a classifier, see 4@Side.