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

Make a downward motion with your dominant hand from chin to chest, palm down and fingers curved, to sign "old" in ASL. The sign comes from the idea of an elderly person's beard growing down their face, which people used to connect with being old. Moving your hand slower and longer means very old, while a quick, short motion means a bit old. When you're talking about old things instead of old people, do the same hand motion but change your face a little bit. ASL users do this sign all the time, whether they're having serious talks or just chatting with friends, and you'll see it a lot when people tell stories about the past or describe people.