face with open eyes and hand over mouth
Unicode: 1FAE2
Description
A yellow circular face with a hand covering its mouth, making a half-smile with one eye open and the other closed, suggesting suppressed laughter or a mischievous secret.
Group:
Smileys & Emotion > face-hand
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents suppressed laughter, a sly smirk, an 'oops' moment (not necessarily negative), or a mischievous secret being kept or revealed. It can also imply a playful 'shhh' or a subtle chuckle.
Backstory
This emoji was introduced in Unicode 14.0 (2021) as part of an effort to include more nuanced facial expressions. Its design is versatile, allowing for interpretations ranging from polite amusement to a knowing smirk, filling a gap in emoji expressions for 'holding back laughter' or 'subtle mischief'.
Usage Examples
- Responding to a funny comment: 'Hahaha, that's so true 🤫'
- Sharing a slightly naughty secret: 'Don't tell anyone, but I ate the last cookie 🤫'
- Expressing amusement at a playful situation: 'They thought they were sneaky, but I saw everything 🤫'
- Responding to an awkward or embarrassing situation with a wry smile: 'Well, that happened 🤫'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Often used for giggling, chuckling at an inside joke, or conveying a playful 'I know something you don't' vibe.
East Asian culture:
Can be used to express playful shyness, suppressed amusement, or a subtle acknowledgment of something amusing without being overt.