index pointing at the viewer: medium skin tone
Unicode: 1FAF5 1F3FD
Description
A person with hand cupped over mouth, medium skin tone. This emoji shows a person with a hand over their mouth, indicating a mix of emotions like surprise, shyness, embarrassment, or keeping a secret.
Group:
People & Body > hand-single-finger
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents shock, surprise, embarrassment, shyness, discretion, or silence. The covered mouth can imply holding back words or gasping.
Backstory
The base emoji (Person With Hand Over Mouth) was introduced as part of Unicode 14.0 in 2021. The addition of skin tone modifiers allows for more diverse representation. It reflects common gestures of self-consciousness or guardedness.
Usage Examples
- Expressing surprise: 'Did you see that? ζθΈθ€θ² (1FAF5 1F3FD)'
- Admitting an 'oops': 'I completely forgot! ζθΈθ€θ² (1FAF5 1F3FD)'
- Keeping a secret: 'It's a surprise, don't tell! ζθΈθ€θ² (1FAF5 1F3FD)'
- Feeling shy/embarrassed: 'Oh, you're too kind! ζθΈθ€θ² (1FAF5 1F3FD)'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Often used to express 'oops' moments, mild shock, or keeping a secret (e.g., 'don't tell anyone').
East Asian culture:
Can signify polite shyness or embarrassment, especially in response to compliments or awkward situations.