hand with index finger and thumb crossed: medium-dark skin tone
Unicode: 1FAF0 1F3FE
Description
An index finger and thumb touching, forming a small heart shape (Korean finger heart), with a dark skin tone.
Group:
People & Body > hand-fingers-partial
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents love, affection, gratitude, or appreciation, popularized in K-pop and K-drama culture. It's a gesture of sending love or showing fondness.
Backstory
The finger heart gesture originated in South Korea, popularized by K-pop idols around the early to mid-2010s. It became a phenomenon due to its ease of execution and small, intimate presentation of a heart shape. This specific emoji, representing the gesture, was added to Unicode as part of Unicode 14.0 (2021) and Emoji 14.0, reflecting its global recognition and cultural significance.
Usage Examples
- Showing appreciation to fans: 'Thanks for all your support! 🫰🏾'
- Expressing love for K-pop/K-drama: 'Just finished the new episode, loved it! 🫰🏾'
- Responding to a compliment: 'Aww, you're the best! 🫰🏾'
- Casual expression of fondness: 'Weekend vibes 🫰🏾'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Increasingly recognized due to the global spread of K-pop and K-culture, used to show love or appreciation in a trendy way. Sometimes seen as a cute or playful alternative to a traditional heart gesture.
East Asian culture:
Especially in South Korea, it is a ubiquitous and popular gesture for expressing love, adoration, and gratitude. It's a common pose for celebrities and fans during photo opportunities and concerts. The gesture is easily and subtly made.