rightwards pushing hand: medium skin tone
Unicode: 1FAF8 1F3FD
Description
A person kneeling, wearing a light skin tone, often depicted with a gesture of respect, prayer, or submission.
Group:
People & Body > hand-fingers-open
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Can convey devotion, respect, prayer, supplication, humility, or protest.
Backstory
The kneeling person emoji was approved as part of Unicode 14.0 in 2021 and added to Emoji 14.0 in 2021. The skin tone variations like 🏼 were also introduced at the same time to allow for more inclusive representation. It provides a more specific and contextual alternative to general bowing or praying hands emojis.
Usage Examples
- Expressing deep respect: 'I truly admire your dedication, I kneel before you 🧸🏼'
- Indicating prayer: 'Praying for peace 🧸🏼'
- Showing submission or humility: 'I concede, you've won 🧸🏼'
- Referring to historical acts of protest: 'Remembering those who take a knee for justice 🧸🏼'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Often associated with prayer (religious contexts), proposing marriage, or political protest (e.g., taking a knee).
East Asian culture:
May be seen in contexts of bowing deeply as a sign of respect or apology, or as a specific pose in martial arts or yoga.