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Thursday, January 2, 2025
Sign of the Day
centimetre
The BSL sign for "centimetre" uses a G-handshape to represent a small unit of length, with a repeated short linear movement
A2 Common Noun British Sign Language (BSL) Neutral
Today’s Snapshot
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Index finger extended, thumb extended, other fingers curled
Short linear movement, indicating small distance
When discussing exact measurements or dimensions
Break It Down
Watch, build, and feel the movement
Use the numbered steps first, then check the sign anatomy cards to clean up the small details that make the sign look fluent instead of approximate.
How to form the sign
- Form G-handshape (index and thumb extended)
- Position hand in neutral space, palm inward
- Make a small, repeated linear movement
- Movement indicates small distance
Coach prompt
Practice forming the G-handshape and making the small, repeated movement
Signature details
Handshape
Index finger extended, thumb extended, other fingers curled · Code G-hand
Dominant hand
Either
Symmetry
N/A
Contact
Air
Palm orientation
Palm facing inward or slightly downward
Eyebrows
Neutral
Eye gaze
Forward
Head movement
None
Mouth morpheme
Mouth "cm" or "centimetre"
Body shift
None
Use It Today
Move from recognition to real-life use
Everything below is designed to make the sign sticky: where it feels natural, what learners miss, and how to use it without sounding robotic.
The table is sixty centimetres wide
Often signed immediately after a number
Best fit: When discussing exact measurements or dimensions
Mirror focus
Practice forming the G-handshape and making the small, repeated movement
Catch the slip
Ensure index finger and thumb are extended, and movement is brief and linear
Use it today
The table is sixty centimetres wide
Common mistakes: Using incorrect handshape or movement magnitude
When not to use it: When referring to inches or other non-metric units
Regional note: None significant
Cultural note: None specific
1.[en] It's 5cm long. / BSL:[NUMBER 5 + CM SIGN]
2.[en] Measure in cm. / BSL:[MEASURE + CM SIGN]
3.[en] Small, only 2cm. / BSL:[SMALL + NUMBER 2 + CM SIGN]
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Word web
cm
metre
kilometre
Length
measure
distance
millimetre
metre
Millimetre
Metre
Kilometre
Measure
Length
Small
The sign for CENTIMETRE (G-handshape, small repeated linear movement) is distinct from: 1. SMALL: Uses a similar G-handshape but typically involves a single, slightly larger arc or movement, not necessarily repeated, conveying general smallness rather than a unit. 2. INCH: Often uses a C-handshape or a specific 'pinching' motion with thumb and index to denote the approximate length of an inch, which is less precise than the repeated linear movement of centimetre. 3. LITTLE BIT: Also uses a G-handshape but often with a more emphatic, less precise single movement, indicating a small quantity or degree, not a precise measurement unit
Measurement
metric
length
size
dimension
BSL centimetre
sign for cm
how to sign centimetre
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