hand with fingers splayed: medium skin tone
Unicode: 1F590 1F3FD
Description
A hand with its thumb, index finger, and pinky finger extended, forming the 'I love you' sign. The hand has a medium skin tone.
Group:
People & Body > hand-fingers-open
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Represents love, affection, friendship, or positivity, especially in contexts related to American Sign Language (ASL) or general expressions of endearment.
Backstory
The 'I love you' hand gesture combines the ASL signs for 'I', 'L', and 'Y': The extended index finger and thumb form an 'L', while the extended pinky finger forms an 'I'. When combined, the thumb and pinky form a 'Y'. This emoji (and its skin tone variants) was introduced to facilitate expressions of love and inclusivity in digital communication, recognizing its significance in ASL.
Usage Examples
- Expressing love: 'I love you, mom! 🤟🏽'
- Showing support: 'Thinking of you! 🤟🏽'
- After a performance: 'Great job! 🤟🏽'
- Inclusion in a group photo: 'Family photo! 🤟🏽'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Widely recognized as the 'I love you' sign, popularized by ASL and rock music culture. Used to express love, support, or approval.
East Asian culture:
Less commonly understood as 'I love you' compared to the West. In some contexts, it might be mistaken for other gestures or have no specific meaning.
Other cultures:
The specific meaning can vary; in some cultures, extended pinky and thumb might have different connotations or be seen as a 'shaka' sign for 'hang loose' (which usually involves a curled middle and ring finger).