🤝

handshake

Unicode: 1F91D

Description

Two hands clasped together, often representing a handshake.

Group:

People & Body > hands

Status:

fully-qualified

Emotion:

Typically represents agreement, greeting, friendship, partnership, or reconciliation. Can also signify a deal being made or trust.

Backstory

The Handshake emoji was approved as part of Unicode 9.0 in 2016 and added to Emoji 3.0. It visually represents the universal gesture of a handshake, which has been a symbol of agreement and goodwill for centuries across cultures.

Usage Examples

  • Confirming a deal: 'It's a deal! 🤝'
  • Greeting someone: 'Nice to meet you! 🤝'
  • Showing agreement: 'We're on the same page. 🤝'
  • Expressing partnership: 'Teamwork makes the dream work! 🤝'
  • Reconciliation: 'Glad we could work things out. 🤝'

Cultural Differences

Western culture:

Commonly used for agreement, greeting, or congratulation. Often seen in business contexts.

East Asian culture:

Similar usage for agreement and greeting, but can also imply strong negotiation or a definitive deal.