hand with index finger and thumb crossed

What does hand with index finger and thumb crossed mean?

The 🫰 emoji depicts a hand with the thumb and index finger crossed, forming a tiny heart shape. Widely recognized as the "finger heart," this gesture was popularized by South Korean culture and K-pop idols as a modern symbol of love, affection, and adoration. It serves as a subtle, trendy alternative to traditional, larger heart emojis when expressing care or endearment. In digital communication, people frequently use this emoji to show appreciation, express fandom support, or send a playful sign of affection. It commonly appears alongside selfies, concert footage, and messages of gratitude. Although officially created to represent a finger heart, users in Western contexts occasionally interpret the hand shape as someone rubbing their fingers together, using it as a shorthand for money, wealth, or asking to be paid.

Slang & Modern Usage

In internet slang and Gen Z digital culture, the 🫰 emoji is heavily tied to "stan" Twitter and TikTok fandoms. It is the ultimate symbol for expressing overwhelming devotion to a favorite celebrity or creator, often paired with crying faces to show aggressive adoration. Beyond K-pop circles, millennials and Gen Z use it as a quirky, low-stakes way to show love without the serious commitment attached to a classic red heart. Interestingly, a secondary slang usage has emerged due to the gesture's striking resemblance to the universal hand sign for cash. When paired with money-related emojis, users playfully repurpose the 🫰 emoji to mean "pay me," "securing the bag," or to casually remind friends to send money for a split bill.

Emoji Combos

Technical Information

Unicode U+1FAF0
HTML Entity 🫰
CSS \1FAF0
JavaScript \u{1FAF0}
Unicode Version Unicode 14
Status Fully-qualified

Shortcodes

github

:hand_with_index_finger_and_thumb_crossed:

discord

:hand_with_index_finger_and_thumb_crossed:

slack

:hand_with_index_finger_and_thumb_crossed:

Skin Tone Variants

Related Emojis

Tags

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the 🫰 emoji mean?
The 🫰 emoji represents a "finger heart," a gesture popularized by South Korean celebrities. It is primarily used to express love, affection, and appreciation.
Is the 🫰 emoji used for money?
Yes, while its official meaning is a finger heart, some people use it to represent money. This happens because the crossed thumb and index finger look identical to the Western gesture of rubbing fingers together for cash.
Who uses the 🫰 emoji the most?
It is incredibly popular among K-pop fans and Gen Z users on platforms like TikTok, X (Twitter), and Instagram. Fans use it to show adoration for their favorite idols or to send trendy, cute messages to friends.
How should I use the 🫰 finger heart emoji?
You can use it as a stylish alternative to standard heart emojis. Send it to show gratitude, playfully flirt, react to an adorable photo, or cheer on your favorite musical artist.