The sign for "sorry" is made by forming an "A' with your dominant 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:
SORRY (version)
SORRY (English-influenced version)
(You may see this version but I recommend you use the "A" hand version.)
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 may 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 (some) 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 modified "A" hand in which the thumb is a bit tucked, perhaps a bit of a cross between and "A" and an "S" (but not a full "S") and an intense movement. The point is that if you do a lot of signing you just naturally avoid any signs that are going to cause you to jamb your thumb or pop a button.
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