Nowadays, they are as naturally part of a message as the letters themselves: emojis. But many use the little grimaces wrong. TECHBOOK explains the true meaning of the most popular emojis.
Emojis – the small, colorful symbols that almost everyone uses in written, digital communication today – have become an integral part of WhatsApp messages or Facebook comments. But would you have thought that many users would interpret the small smileys with a completely wrong meaning? TECHBOOK reveals the true meaning of the most popular emojis.
clasped hands
The folded hands are often interpreted as a “high five” – which can also be interpreted as such with the emojis from Apple, Google or Facebook. The emojis from Microsoft or Samsung, on the other hand, tend to show what the symbol actually means: They are intended to indicate gratitude or a polite “Please” – a gesture from Japan, where this emoji originally came from.
In western culture it is also often used as a symbol for prayer. In this respect, the meaning of the emojis has changed.
Are you familiar with emojis? Try our quiz!
Smiley with steam coming out of his nose
The grim-looking smiley with steam coming out of its nose is often used today when someone wants to point out a frustrating situation or is just angry. However, the official name of the emoji reveals its true meaning: “Face with look of triumph”.
The face is supposed to express pride, the earlier emojis from Microsoft (Windows 8.1) and Facebook show that a little better. Today, however, they also look very similar to the others.
Smiley with bubble
A smiley face with a drop on its face – in western countries, the emoji often stands for a cold, and some also steal it to express sadness. But here, too, the official name reveals a lot! “Sleepy Face” which means “sleepy face” in German and should not be confused with “sleeping face” – this is another emoji again.
The origin is once again Japan: There, sleepy people in manga comics and anime series are often shown with a snot blister in their nose – and that is also the actual meaning of the drop. This is best seen in Samsung’s emoji – it also has a few “z” characters that make sleep more explicit.
tired cat
That’s right: the cat isn’t screaming, upset or shocked – it’s said to be tired (“Weary Cat”) and is the cat’s counterpart to the tired smiley face. This is most likely to be found in the emojis from Samsung and Facebook.
Woman holds up hand
A commonly used emoji: A woman raising her hand and… well, what exactly is she doing? Women often use this symbol to mean “naughty” or “I don’t care”, some also use it for “lock of hair”.
Strictly speaking, however, this is incorrect, as the official name suggests: “Information Desk Person” means something like “Information Service” in German, and the woman also raises her hand like a waitress carrying an invisible tablet. The meaning of service is probably most applicable to this emoji.
Bow down
This emoji should also be known. It is commonly used to express tiredness, alertness, or to apologize. Even the application is therefore quite the opposite.
Actually, the small symbol only depicts a bowing person. This is most likely to be seen in the Facebook image or at Apple, where the knees can still be guessed at. Whether you want to bow as an apology is up to you.
Ashamed face
No, this face is not shocked! But the error is quite understandable with the wide open eyes and the slightly open mouth.
Here, too, the naming provides information: “Flushed Face”. And if you look closely, you can see that the cheeks are actually red. This is particularly visible in the Microsoft version. In this case, the big eyes and flushed cheeks are said to be a sign of embarrassment and shame.