The sign for "sorry"
is made by forming an "A' with your right hand. Rotate your hand on your
chest using a couple of clockwise motions.
This sign can be also be used to mean "apologize" or "regret."
SORRY:
Make sure to use a "sorry" facial expression:
Animation: Sorry
Optional Reading (Not needed for
class).
STUDENT: "Does it have to be actually on the chest?"
Dr. Bill: No. Most people do it on the chest but it can be done a
little bit in front of the chest if you want.
STUDENT: "I saw someone doing this sign with an S-handshape. Is that
okay or is that Signed English?"
Dr. Bill: You'll see it done with either an "A" or an "S" handshape
but me and most of the Deaf Adults I know do it with an, "A" hand. I
asked my wife just now and she said that she does it with an "A" hand
because she doesn't like the thumb getting in the way and catching on her
shirt. Which brings up an interesting point: Women's shirts tend to button
opposite that of men's shirts thus the thumb on an "S" hand would be more
inclined to "catch" if a woman were doing this sign while wearing a buttoned
shirt than if a man were doing it with a buttoned shirt. In any case,
I don't think it is "wrong" if a person does this sign with an "S" hand --
it is just "less common" and therefore I don't recommend doing it that way
even though you will see people doing it with an "S." A strange quirk
though is I've noticed that if I'm "really, really" sorry I do tend to us an
"S" hand and a large movement.
