Here’s a first video with basic phrases in Irish Sign Language (ISL). The video includes some notes to help learn the signs — pause to read those — and I’ve split it into chapters below.

Regarding sign names: These are personal signs that Deaf people give each other to make it easier to refer to each other. You don’t choose your own sign name; someone in the Deaf community gives you the name. Hearing people’s sign names are often quite straightforward, like their initials, but Deaf people’s are often more personal. Deaf people sometimes adapt or change theirs as they go through life.

00:12 Hello, how are you? I’m fine (and similar phrases)

01:02 Sorry, please and thank you

01:21 What: What’s wrong? What do you want? What’s this?

01:52 Who: Who are you?

02:02 Help!

02:28 Want, need

02:38 Tea, coffee, water

02:53 Have

03:03 Where: Where is the toilet? Where do you live?

03:55 When: When are you leaving, when are we meeting?

04:14 Yesterday, today, and tomorrow

04:27 Can and cannot

04:59 Do you know ISL?

05:16 My name is…

05:48 Goodbye

Want to support the blog, which is going to be my primary source of income moving forward? I have a Patreon account here, a Liberapay account here, and a PayPal account here.