How to Sign "Milk" in American Sign Language (ASL)

In ASL, "milk" is signed by making a squeezing motion with one hand, as if milking a cow. The dominant hand opens and closes twice at chest level. This sign came from how people used to milk cows by hand, making it easy to understand what the sign means and why it looks this way. You squeeze. The sign is used both when talking about milk products and in common phrases about milk. People across America use this sign the same way, and babies often learn it as one of their first signs.