How Do You Say Friends in Sign Language

Say Friends in Sign Language is something I love to teach, especially when I’m talking directly to you my amazing audience who wants to learn sign language in the easiest way.

I want you to imagine this: what if a simple hand movement could instantly connect you with someone without even speaking? That’s the hook that made me fall in love with ASL.

One day, I met a deaf girl who smiled the moment I signed “friends” correctly and that small moment changed everything for me. Now, I’m here to guide you step by step so you can create the same beautiful connection.

Quick Reference Table

Sign Language	Country/Region	How It’s Signed	Emotional or Cultural Note
American Sign Language (ASL)	USA, parts of Canada	Hook index fingers together (like linking pinkies), then switch hands	Symbolizes unbreakable connection  “linked for life”
British Sign Language (BSL)	UK	Cross index and middle fingers on both hands (like “fingers crossed for luck”)	Friendship is seen as good fortune you wish to keep
Langue des Signes Française (LSF)	France	Two “F” hands touch at the fingertips, then pull apart slightly	Elegant and delicate  reflects French romantic view of friendship
Lingua dei Segni Italiana (LIS)	Italy	Italy	Place one hand on your heart, then on the other person’s heart
Japanese Sign Language (JSL)	Japan	Hug yourself, then open arms toward the person	Friendship is a warm embrace  deeply tied to harmony (wa 和)
Korean Sign Language (KSL)	South Korea	Two “peace” hands cross at wrists, then hug toward chest	Combines victory/peace with embrace  “we overcame distance together”
Auslan	Australia	Two “V” hands (index+middle) cross and twist  like twisting a rope	Represents strong, intertwined bond  “mateship” culture
South African Sign Language (SASL)	South Africa	Clasp own hands together, then reach out and clasp the other person’s hands	Ubuntu philosophy  “I am because we are”
Lengua de Señas Mexicana (LSM)	Mexico	Link pinkies, then bring linked hands to heart	Same pinky-link that changed my life  very common across Latin America
Israeli Sign Language (ISL)	Israel	Two hands make “person” shape, then move toward each other until shoulders touch	Friendship = becoming family
Russian Sign Language (RSL)	Russia	Two flat hands clasp and shake slightly (like a secret handshake)	Echoes Russian soul-to-soul connection (“drug” means both friend and soulmate in old usage)
Deutsche Gebärdensprache (DGS)	Germany	Two index fingers point at each other, then hook and pull close	Direct and loyal  reflects German value of Treue (loyalty)
Língua Gestual Portuguesa (LGP)	Portugal	Two “C” hands circle each other and meet at the heart	Saudades culture  friendship carries longing and deep emotional memory
New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL)	New Zealand	Similar to BSL crossed fingers, but with a gentle chest tap	Whānau (extended family) concept  friends are chosen family
Inuit Sign Language (IUR)	Nunavut, Canada	Two hands make igloo shape together	In small Arctic communities, every person you meet can become survival-level friend

Europe

In many European sign languages (Italy, France, Portugal, Russia), you’ll see the heart play a central role.

Italian Sign Language’s hand-on-heart gesture is so iconic that hearing Italians sometimes mimic it unconsciously when talking about close friends.

In France, the delicate fingertip touches reflect the cultural idea that true friendship is refined and chosen carefully.

Asia

East Asian sign languages tend to use hugging motions (Japan, Korea, China). In Japanese Sign Language, the self-hug opening into an embrace beautifully mirrors the cultural journey from individual harmony to group harmony.

In Korea adds the crossed wrists  a reminder that friendship often survives war, division, and hardship.

Africa & the African Diaspora

South African Sign Language’s clasped hands reaching out is a living embodiment of Ubuntu.

In Nigerian Sign Language (NSL) and Ghanaian Sign Language, the sign is often accompanied by a shoulder bump  physical contact that says “we carry each other’s burdens.”

Indigenous & Island Sign Languages:

Maori Deaf in New Zealand blend BSL roots with a chest tap that echoes the hongi (pressing noses). Hawaiian Sign Language (‘Ōlelo Hoailona) uses linked pinkies and then a shaka  aloha spirit in every friendship.

Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language (extinct but documented) had a simple two-handed clasp  in a community where nearly everyone signed, “friend” and “neighbor” were almost the same word.

Cultural Insights

Unlike spoken languages, where “friend” can be casual (English “mate,” Spanish “colega”), sign languages are inherently iconic and body-anchored. You physically act out connection  linking, hugging, heart-touching.

This makes the sign for “friend” one of the most universally heart-melting signs in any signed language.

A signed “friend” often means “someone who fought to communicate with me.”How Do You Say Friends in Sign Language

Beautiful Proverbs & Sayings About Friendship in the Deaf World

• ASL proverb: “Friends are the family you sign with.”
• Italian Deaf saying: “Amico vero, cuore aperto.” (True friend, open heart  accompanied by the heart-touch sign)
• Japanese Deaf proverb: “One kind word can warm three winter months”  signed with the self-hug.
• South African Deaf motto: “My hands speak Ubuntu.”How Do You Say Friends in Sign Language

FAQs

Why do so many sign languages link pinkies or hook fingers?

The pinky promise originated as a hearing gesture, but Deaf communities worldwide adopted and beautified it because it’s naturally clear and visually strong  perfect for a visual language.

Some researchers believe the hooked-fingers sign in French Sign Language (LSF) dates back to the 1700s and influenced many others, including early ASL.

Can hearing people use these signs?

Absolutely  and Deaf people love it when you do! Just learn properly and use respectfully.How Do You Say Friends in Sign Language

Conclusion

Whether it’s two pinkies linked in Mexico, two hearts touched in Italy, or a warm self-hug in Japan  every Deaf community on earth has found a way to say, without a single sound:“You are not alone. I choose you.

We connected.”And that, more than any spoken word, is the universal language of friendship.Now it’s your turn.What’s the sign for “friend” in your country’s sign language? Or tell me the story of a friendship that crossed every language barrier. Drop it in the comments  I read every single one, and I can’t wait to learn from you.

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