hand with index finger and thumb crossed: light skin tone
Unicode: 1FAF0 1F3FB
Description
It depicts a light-skinned hand with the thumb and index finger extended, palms facing forward, forming the shape of a heart.
Group:
People & Body > hand-fingers-partial
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents love, affection, support, or friendship. It's a universal gesture of positive sentiment.
Backstory
The finger heart gesture gained significant popularity in South Korea in the 2010s, particularly among K-pop idols as a quick, easy, and cute way to show love to their fans. It was popularized by celebrities like Nam Woo-hyun of INFINITE and has since become a global phenomenon, leading to its inclusion in Unicode 14.0 in 2021 as the 'Heart Hands' emoji, but this specific version with two fingers is a derivative of its two-hand predecessor, representing a more compact and modern iteration of the 'finger heart' gesture.
Usage Examples
- Expressing thanks: 'Thank you for your support! 🫶🏼'
- Showing affection: 'Love you, mom! 🫶🏼'
- Conveying friendship: 'Friends forever! 🫶🏼'
- As a positive affirmation: 'You got this! 🫶🏼'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Widely understood as a gesture of love or appreciation, often used for expressing encouragement, affection, or a 'like' emotionally.
East Asian culture:
Especially popular in South Korea (often called 'finger heart' or 'finger love') where it originated as a quick and convenient way to express love and appreciation, particularly among K-pop idols and fans. Its usage has spread globally from there.