 There are 40 to 50 basic hand-shapes in Hong Kong sign language.Signs are generally derived from conceptual representation (abstract, such as the signs for 'father' and 'mother'), visual representation (direct, such as the signs for 'to separate' and 'thick-skinned') or representation of the Chinese character (such as with the signs for 'to introduce' and 'the Chinese language') or - rarely - the English term (such as with the sign for 'toilet/WC').Question words are generally phrase or sentence-final, while the basic word order is S-O-V.