person bowing
Unicode: 1F647
Description
A person kneeling with bowed head and joined hands, often used to express apology, respect, or regret.
Group:
People & Body > person-gesture
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents apology, regret, respect, prayer, or asking for forgiveness. Can also imply deep gratitude or supplication.
Backstory
This emoji was introduced in Unicode 6.0 (2010). Its interpretation evolved from a general 'person bowing' to specifically 'person kneeling' or 'person apologizing', reflecting common usage across cultures.
Usage Examples
- Apologizing: 'So sorry I'm late! 🙇♀️'
- Asking for a favor: 'Please, please, please can we go? 🙇♂️'
- Expressing deep respect: 'Bowing to your wisdom, master! 🙇'
- Showing regret: 'I really messed up there. 🙇'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Commonly understood as a gesture of apology or begging, sometimes used playfully. Less frequently associated with deep religious prayer in informal contexts.
East Asian culture:
Strongly associated with deep apologies (gomen nasai in Japan), profound respect, or prayer. Can also be used to 'beg' for something playfully.