“Drink” is one of the most useful mealtime signs for babies. Most babies can start using it between 7 and 10 months, and because it looks exactly like drinking from a cup, they rarely confuse it with anything else.
How to Sign “Drink” in ASL
Photos: Rodasmith via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Make the handshape: Curve your fingers and thumb into a C shape, as if holding an invisible cup.
- Bring it to your mouth: Hold the C hand just in front of your lips.
- Tip it up: Tilt the hand toward your mouth, exactly like taking a sip.
The sign is pure mime — you are drinking from an invisible cup. That makes it one of the easiest signs for babies to copy.
Step-by-Step Photos
Photos: Rodasmith via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
When to Use It With Your Child
- Before offering a bottle or cup: Sign “drink” as you say the word, then hand it over.
- When you drink: Babies love copying parents — sign it before sipping your own water.
- When they reach for a cup: Model the sign first, then give the drink right away so the connection is instant.
Tips for Success
- Say “drink” out loud each time — pairing speech with sign speeds up both.
- Accept a fist bumped against the mouth as a first attempt; precision comes later.
- Pair it with eat and more to cover the whole mealtime routine.
Signs Related to “Drink”
The sign for “eat” uses a flattened hand tapping the lips, and “milk” is a squeezing fist, like milking. Babies who know “drink” usually pick up “milk” within a few weeks because both pay off immediately.
Most babies sign “drink” reliably by 10–12 months, often within two to three weeks of consistent modeling at every drink.