elf: medium skin tone
Unicode: 1F9DD 1F3FD
Description
A person kneeling, facing left, with a light brown skin tone. This emoji depicts someone in a kneeling or genuflecting posture.
Group:
People & Body > person-fantasy
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Can express a variety of emotions including humility, respect, prayer, supplication, submission, worship, or a plea.
Backstory
The base 'person kneeling' emoji (1F9DD) was approved as part of Unicode 12.0 in 2019. The skin tone modifier (1F3FD) allows for various complexions and was part of earlier Unicode versions. It was designed to provide a gender-inclusive and versatile representation of kneeling.
Usage Examples
- Expressing prayer or devotion: 'Kneeling in prayer for peace. 🙏🏽'
- Showing respect or reverence: 'Bowing down to the master. 🙇🏽'
- Making a plea or supplication: 'I beg of you! 🙏🏽'
- Acknowledging a proposal: 'Saying yes! 💍🙏🏽'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Often associated with prayer (religious kneeling), proposing marriage, showing respect (e.g., to royalty), or submission/surrender.
East Asian culture:
May be associated with bowing deeply (though specific bowing emojis exist), traditional forms of greeting, or specific cultural rituals.
Other cultures:
In many cultures, kneeling is a sign of deep respect or reverence, particularly in religious contexts or when approaching elders or authority figures.