hand with index finger and thumb crossed: medium-light skin tone
Unicode: 1FAF0 1F3FC
Description
A light-skinned person gesturing with both hands, forming a heart shape with their thumbs and index fingers, usually depicted from the chest up.
Group:
People & Body > hand-fingers-partial
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents love, affection, gratitude, or appreciation. It's a gesture of sending love or showing fondness.
Backstory
The 🫰 Hand with Index Finger and Thumb Crossed emoji (often referred to as 'finger heart') originated in South Korea, popularized by K-Pop idols in the early 2010s as a quick and easy way to form a heart shape. It was added to Unicode as part of Emoji 14.0 in 2021, and its popularity quickly grew worldwide, becoming a common gesture in selfies and social media expressing love or thanks.
Usage Examples
- Showing appreciation to fans: 'Thanks for all your support! 🫰'
- Expressing love or affection: 'Sending you lots of love! 🫰'
- In selfies: 'Just enjoying the moment! 🫰'
- Reacting to something positive: 'Aww, that's so sweet! 🫰'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Widely understood as a 'heart' gesture, signifying love, friendship, or positive feelings.
East Asian culture:
Especially popular in South Korea (often called 'finger heart' or 'K-Pop heart') where it originated as a way for celebrities to show affection to fans, and has since spread globally.
Global usage:
Frequently used in social media and selfies to express love and appreciation.