palm down hand: medium skin tone
Unicode: 1FAF3 1F3FD
Description
A hand with its thumb and index finger forming a heart shape, with a medium skin tone.
Group:
People & Body > hand-fingers-open
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents love, affection, friendship, or a gesture of appreciation and support. It is a common symbol for 'I love you' or 'heart'.
Backstory
The finger heart gesture became widely popular through South Korean celebrities, particularly K-pop idols, who use it to express affection to their fans. Its simplicity and ease of execution made it a global phenomenon. The Unicode Consortium added this emoji to Unicode 14.0 in 2021, recognizing its widespread use and cultural significance.
Usage Examples
- Expressing love or appreciation: 'Thanks for everything! 🫰🏽'
- Responding to a compliment: 'You're too kind! 🫰🏽'
- Showing support for a favorite artist/group: 'K-pop concert was amazing! 🫰🏽'
- Casual greeting among friends: 'See you later! 🫰🏽'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Widely recognized as a sign of love, affection, or support, popularized by K-pop culture and social media.
East Asian culture:
Originated in South Korea (known as the 'finger heart' or '爱心手势' in Chinese) and is heavily associated with K-pop idols and fans as a quick, easy way to show love and appreciation.