To sign upset in ASL, hold your dominant hand flat with the fingers together and place it palm down against your chest. Then turn the hand over so the palm faces up, letting it drop a little in front of your stomach. Turn the corners of your mouth down to show the feeling.
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How to sign it
Handshape: a flat hand with the fingers together.
Location: start against your chest, then in front of your stomach.
Movement: turn the hand over and let it drop a little.
Palm orientation: the palm faces your body at the start and faces up at the end.
Facial expression: corners of the mouth turned down.
Tip to remember it
Lifeprint says to use an angry facial expression when upset means not happy.
Use it in a sentence
GIRL UPSET WHY?
Why is the girl upset?
This video shows one common way to sign upset. Lifeprint shows the hand starting at the stomach, and notes that this sign does not mean upset as in knocking something over.
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Signed by a Deaf, fluent ASL signer.
Description checked against AISA's own video (the reference); Lifeprint (ASL University), lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/u/upset.htm.
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