Daily focus
Archive Replay
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Sign of the Day
lunch
BSL sign for midday meal, performed with one hand near mouth
A1 Very Common Noun British Sign Language (BSL) Neutral, Child-friendly
Today’s Snapshot
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Dominant C-shape, fingers curled, thumb open
Moves away from mouth, slightly down
Discussing meal times, planning, offering food
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 C-shape with dominant hand
- Place hand near mouth, palm inwards
- Move hand slightly away from mouth and down
- Mouth "lunch"
Coach prompt
Practice C-handshape, location near mouth, and outward movement
Signature details
Handshape
Dominant C-shape, fingers curled, thumb open · Code C-shape
Dominant hand
Either
Symmetry
Asymmetric
Contact
Near
Palm orientation
Inwards, towards face
Eyebrows
Neutral
Eye gaze
Forward
Head movement
None
Mouth morpheme
Mouthing 'lunch' or 'mm'
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.
What time is lunch today?
Often accompanied by mouthing 'lunch'
Best fit: Discussing meal times, planning, offering food
Mirror focus
Practice C-handshape, location near mouth, and outward movement
Catch the slip
Ensure the movement is *away* from the mouth, not towards it
Use it today
What time is lunch today?
Common mistakes: Confusing movement direction with 'EAT'
When not to use it: When specifically referring to 'dinner' or 'breakfast'
Regional note: Some minor regional variations exist for meal signs
Cultural note: Meal times are important social occasions
1.[en] What are you having for lunch? / BSL:[Q-WHAT YOU HAVE LUNCH]
2.[en] Let's meet for lunch. / BSL:[WE MEET LUNCH]
3.[en] Lunch is ready! / BSL:[LUNCH READY]
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Turn one sign into a small learning cluster
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Word web
Midday break
dinner (in some UK regions)
Breakfast
dinner
supper
Meal
midday
break
Eat
Dinner
Breakfast
Meal
Break
The sign for "lunch" uses a C-hand moving away from the mouth. "Eat" often uses a similar handshape but moves towards the mouth, usually repeatedly, signifying the action of eating. "Food" is very similar to "eat" but may be a single movement. "Dinner" can be a larger, more deliberate variant of the "lunch" sign, or a distinct sign in some regions. The key differentiator is the outward movement for "lunch"
Food
meals
daily routine
Lunch BSL
midday meal
food break sign
Come Back Tomorrow
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