Daily focus
Archive Replay
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Sign of the Day
hurt
This BSL sign directly indicates pain by showing a jabbing or twisting motion at the affected body part. Its iconic nature makes it intuitive
A1 Very Common Verb British Sign Language (BSL) Neutral, Child-friendly
Today’s Snapshot
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This page turns your sign metadata into a fast, readable fingerprint of how the sign looks, feels, and fits into real conversation.
Dominant hand, index finger extended, others curled into a fist
Repeated inward twisting or jabbing motion
Describing personal pain, injuries, or feelings of being upset
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-hand (index finger extended)
- Touch index finger to body part in pain
- Twist or jab inward slightly
- Repeat motion once or twice
- Use pained facial expression
Coach prompt
Practice signing 'hurt' while varying your facial expressions to show different intensities of pain
Signature details
Handshape
Dominant hand, index finger extended, others curled into a fist · Code 1-hand
Dominant hand
Either
Symmetry
N/A
Contact
Touch
Palm orientation
Palm often faces towards the body part, or slightly down/inward
Eyebrows
Furrowed
Eye gaze
At referent
Head movement
Forward
Mouth morpheme
Often "ow" or "ouch" mouth shape
Body shift
Slight forward lean possible for emphasis
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.
My arm hurts
The sign is highly iconic; location directly indicates the pain area
Best fit: Describing personal pain, injuries, or feelings of being upset
Mirror focus
Practice signing 'hurt' while varying your facial expressions to show different intensities of pain
Catch the slip
Ensure your non-manuals (pained facial expression, furrowed brows) are clear and match the context
Use it today
My arm hurts
Common mistakes: Not using NMF, incorrect location, or insufficient repetition
When not to use it: Not for abstract "hurting feelings" without clear context
Regional note: Core meaning is consistent; slight movement variations might exist
Cultural note: Directness in showing pain is common in BSL
1.[en] My leg hurts. / BSL:[Sign HURT at leg]
2.[en] Are you hurt? / BSL:[Sign HURT at body, questioning NMF]
3.[en] My head hurts. / BSL:[Sign HURT at temple/forehead]
Connect the Dots
Turn one sign into a small learning cluster
These links use your relationship fields, related vocabulary, and category context so the daily page becomes a launchpad instead of a dead end.
Word web
Pain
ache
injury
sore
Heal
comfort
relief
Injured
sick
painful
accident
Pain
Ache
Injury
Doctor
Sick
The sign for HURT (G-hand, jabbing/twisting at location) is distinct from PAIN (often two G-hands tapping or pulling apart from torso, or dominant G-hand moving across chest). HURT is specific to a body part, while PAIN can be general or widespread. It also differs from SICK (dominant B-hand to forehead and then stomach), which denotes illness rather than specific injury
Medical
emotional
accident
injury
pain
Pain
sore
ache
damage
Injury
medical
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