Daily focus
Archive Replay
Friday, February 6, 2026
Sign of the Day
digger
Bent-5 hand (bucket-like) performs repeated scooping motion
A1 Common Noun British Sign Language (BSL) Neutral, Child-friendly
Today’s Snapshot
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Bent-5 hand, fingers together, like a bucket
Scoop motion, forward, down, then up, repeated
Talking about construction, vehicles, or toys
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 a bent-5 hand, fingers together
- Position hand in front of torso, palm down/forward
- Perform a scoop motion forward and down
- Bring hand up slightly to complete the scoop
- Repeat the scooping motion
Coach prompt
Practice bent-5 handshape and repeated scooping motion
Signature details
Handshape
Bent-5 hand, fingers together, like a bucket · Code BENT5
Dominant hand
Right
Symmetry
Asymmetric
Contact
Air
Palm orientation
Downwards or forward-down
Eyebrows
Neutral
Eye gaze
Forward
Head movement
None
Mouth morpheme
None
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 digger worked at the building site
Often used for toy diggers
Best fit: Talking about construction, vehicles, or toys
Mirror focus
Practice bent-5 handshape and repeated scooping motion
Catch the slip
Ensure correct bent-5 handshape and clear, repeated scoop
Use it today
The digger worked at the building site
Common mistakes: Incorrect handshape or movement
When not to use it: N/A
Regional note: Generally consistent
Cultural note: None specific
1.[en] The digger is very big. / BSL:[DIGGER VERY BIG]
2.[en] My son loves diggers. / BSL:[MY SON LOVE DIGGER]
3.[en] Look, a digger! / BSL:[LOOK DIGGER]
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
Excavator
mechanical digger
N/A
Construction
builder
site
earth
Construction
Machine
Builder
Site
Excavator
Toy
SHOVEL: Uses a flat B-hand or L-hand, often pushing forward, sometimes two-handed. Lacks the repeated scooping action of 'digger'. SPOON: Smaller, often C-hand, single scoop usually towards the mouth. Different context and scale. DIG (verb): Can use a similar bent-5 hand, but often represents the action of digging, potentially more forceful or with two alternating hands, not the machine
Construction
vehicles
machinery
toys
BSL digger
sign for digger
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Video credit: The demonstration video on this page is credited to SpreadTheSign. The video remains the property of the original rightholder.
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