Learning how to sign drink in ASL gives your child a way to communicate before words arrive. “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.
Learn more: National Association of the Deaf — ASL resources and advocacy from the National Association of the Deaf.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start teaching my baby how to sign drink in ASL?
You can introduce the sign for drink as early as 7–10 months. Babies understand signs before they can produce them, so start modeling it consistently and reward any attempt — even an approximation — with the item or action right away.
How long does it take for a baby to learn to sign drink?
Most babies begin producing a recognizable version of the sign for drink within two to four weeks of consistent daily modeling. Frequency matters more than perfect form at this stage — sign it every time the word comes up naturally in your routine.
Is the ASL sign for drink the same in baby sign language programs?
Yes. Most baby sign language programs teach the authentic ASL sign for drink. Using real ASL rather than invented gestures means your child’s signs will be understood by Deaf signers and build a foundation for learning more ASL as they grow.