Why did you learn sign language?

What’s your full-time (or real) job?

What do you do for a living?

Are you a volunteer?

What’s the sign for (curse word/dirty word)?

Are your parents/siblings/spouse deaf?

Are you their (deaf client’s) friend/relative/spouse?

Do you follow him/her (deaf client) all day?

Have you interpreted for him/her before?

How long have you known him/her?

How long did it take you to learn to sign?

Where can I go to learn to sign?

Puzzled look meaning: Who are you and why are you here?

Do they (deaf client) understand?

Tell him/her….

I’ll explain it to you and you can tell them….

We don’t need an interpreter, we understand each other fine.

This is really nice of you.

Is sign language universal?

Do you paraphrase? I noticed you didn’t sign everything.

I guess you really learn a lot from interpreting this class/meeting, training, etc..

Are you hearing or deaf?

Can he (deaf client) lip read?

Can you lip read?

Who do I speak to, you (interpreter) or them (deaf client) ?

Do you read Braille?

For team assignments: Why are there two of you?

I bet your hands get really tired doing this.

Who do you work for?

You brought/came with them (deaf client) right?

So, how long have they been deaf? (Or other background info on Client)

Am I talking too fast?

Could you sign that again?

If you want to see something “funny” watch the interpreter sign this.

Can he/she (deaf client) drive?

I know how to sign, can you read this? (fingerspelling H-I)

How did he/she go deaf?

So, what kind of job will he/she be able to do?

Did you know there is an operation now that can cure deafness?

Aren’t you worried that your job will be made obsolete by computers?

You spell a lot of words, don’t you know all the signs?

It must be very fulfilling to work with deaf people!

Wow, you really did a great job…I watched you much more than I watched the speaker.

From kids: How come you were dancing on stage?

From kids: Aren’t you the guy who was making all those faces?

(After flailing their arms and fingers about) What did I say?

God must have blessed your hands.

You must find this job very rewarding/satisfying.

Educational setting: When will you get promoted to a teacher?

When signing to include everyone in a conversation: You don’t have to sign for me. I can hear.

Do they let you people do that?

Are you the minister?

Can you hear?

“Bobby” knows sign language — he learned last week at church!

That is the most special thing I have ever seen.

I don’t know sign language, but you are the best I’ve ever seen!

Did you get that?

Let me see how you signed that.

Oh, you’re the first male interpreter we’ve had.

You’re not So and So (another interpreter)

Don’t tell them this….

Why are you still here?

We’ve never needed an interpreter before!?

You stay here while they take him into Triage in preparation for surgery. And later when taking him into surgery: You go out into the waiting room, we’ll get you when they’re done.

How much do they pay you to do this?

Do you get paid to do that?

Do you mind working voluntarily?

Oh, he’s deaf?…What a shame…he’s so good looking.

“Books for the deaf must be really thick.” Perplexed I asked him why. “Because the authors would have to draw pictures of all those signs.”

Will he grow out of it?

Hearing: We’re going to show a video, so you’ll have a break. Interpreter: Is it captioned? Hearing: I don’t think so.

Where’s your little friend (meaning the deaf client)?

Aren’t you tired? or Aren’t your hands tired?

That’s so precious.

Here are his discharge papers; you can sign right here on this line.

You should see if you can get credit for this class.

Wow, you sign fast.

Wow, that must be hard to learn.

Wow, it must be hard to interpret.

I don’t know how you can keep up with the speaker.

My son/daughter/niece/etc.. knows sign language.

I had/have a deaf friend.

My brother/nephew/aunt….is deaf.

Can he (deaf client) lip-read?

I knew a deaf person. Boy, could they lip-read well.

I know a deaf person.

What you do is a real blessing/ministry.

I’m envious of what you do.

I took a sign language class years/months ago.

That’s the neatest/coolest thing.

I have to learn that (sign language).

I find what you do fascinating.

How long have you been doing this?