hand with index finger and thumb crossed: medium skin tone
Unicode: 1FAF0 1F3FD
Description
A hand with its thumb and index finger extended, forming a small gap between them, indicating a 'small amount' or 'a little bit'. The skin tone is medium.
Group:
People & Body > hand-fingers-partial
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Used to convey that something is 'a little' or 'not much'. It can express modesty, understatement, or simply describe a small quantity.
Backstory
This emoji was introduced as part of Unicode 14.0 in 2021 and added to Emoji 14.0, representing the universal gesture for indicating a small quantity. The various skin tones were added with Emoji 1.0 (2015) to ensure inclusivity.
Usage Examples
- When asked if you're tired: 'Just a little bit. 🤏🏽'
- Describing an amount: 'I only need a tiny bit of sugar. 🤏🏽'
- Suggesting a small adjustment: 'Move it just a little bit to the left. 🤏🏽'
- Understating a feeling: 'I'm only a little bit excited. 🤏🏽'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Widely understood to mean 'a little bit' or 'tiny'.
East Asian culture:
Similar meaning, often used in casual conversation to indicate a small amount or short duration.
African culture:
Some variations in hand gestures can exist, but the 'a little bit' meaning is generally recognized.