FAQ: How does the phrase builder work? Is it an interpreter that will translate English to ASL?
Our "phrase builder" strings multiple videos together to show you all of the signs for a phrase, sentence, or song. The phrase builder does have a great deal of intelligence built into it, however, it is not an interpreter and does not translate English directly to ASL syntax.
For example, if you search for "Good morning sunshine" it will show "good morning" and "sunshine" signed together (not "good" + "morning" + "sunshine", since there is one sign for "good morning"). Also, the phrase builder will automatically remove some words, like "the" that are not signed.
The phrase builder also gives you the option to change the word order or select different variations of the signs that make up your phrase, so you have the ability to build and save your own phrases that you have created to word lists.
How to use the phrase builder:
You must be a Signing Savvy member to use the phrase builder. The phrase builder feature works similar to looking up any word. Here are the steps:
- Make sure you are logged in.
- Type in the word, sentence, or phrase in the search box that you want to see signed and click "find signs"
- If you typed in multiple words, you will probably get a result that says there was no direct match, but gives you the option/button to "show in phrase builder." Click "show in phrase builder"
- Then you will see the words signed together. The phrase builder also gives you the option to change the word order or select different variations of the signs that make up your phrase.
You may also watch the video on how to use the phrase builder.
