face with diagonal mouth
Unicode: 1FAE4
Description
A yellow face subtly smiling with a single hand covering its mouth. The eyes are looking up, and typically a blush is visible on the cheeks.
Group:
Smileys & Emotion > face-concerned
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Commonly used to convey surprise, embarrassment, shyness, or a subtle, quiet laugh. It can imply 'Oops!' or 'Hehe'.
Backstory
This emoji was added to Unicode 14.0 in 2021 as part of the 'Face with Hand Over Mouth' family, expanding the range of emotional expressions to include more nuanced reactions like shyness, embarrassment, and subtle amusement. It reflects common gestures of politeness or discretion.
Usage Examples
- Expressing surprise/embarrassment: 'I totally forgot my keys! 🫢'
- Laughing quietly: 'That joke was hilarious, but I'm trying to be quiet 🫢'
- Sharing an 'oops' moment: 'I said it out loud, didn't I? 🫢'
- Showing discreet amusement: 'He really just did that 🫢'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Often used for 'oops' moments, shy smiles, or laughing discreetly at something relatable or slightly awkward.
East Asian culture:
Can represent shyness, politeness when laughing, or an 'embarrassed but amused' reaction, similar to covering one's mouth when laughing loudly.