cross-cultural emoji communication
January 19, 2019 10:05 AM Subscribe
which emoji mean something very different from US english in other languages/countries?
I joined a penpal app (post on blue) a while back and it's been going well. Today, as I sent someone in Russia the shrug emoji, I suddenly realized I am totally clueless about which emoji mean something completely different in other countries.
(Well, not totally clueless, I'm aware V-is-for-victory doesn't stand for victory in most of the world, and I have a vague idea that the "OK" sign has several different meanings. So, I know enough to know that I don't know.)
This seems like something I want to know going forward. Not interested in accidentally conveying the precise opposite of my meaning, or offending anyone...
Are there any articles or guides out there discussing this? Ideally as comprehensive in country coverage as possible...
I joined a penpal app (post on blue) a while back and it's been going well. Today, as I sent someone in Russia the shrug emoji, I suddenly realized I am totally clueless about which emoji mean something completely different in other countries.
(Well, not totally clueless, I'm aware V-is-for-victory doesn't stand for victory in most of the world, and I have a vague idea that the "OK" sign has several different meanings. So, I know enough to know that I don't know.)
This seems like something I want to know going forward. Not interested in accidentally conveying the precise opposite of my meaning, or offending anyone...
Are there any articles or guides out there discussing this? Ideally as comprehensive in country coverage as possible...
In parts of West Africa and the Middle East, ๐๐ผ conveys the same meaning as what Americans mean by ๐๐ผ.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 11:45 AM on January 19, 2019
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 11:45 AM on January 19, 2019
๐๐ฝ Commonly means โokayโ to English-as-a-first-language people, but means a variety of other things elsewhere. In Brazil for instance it is apparently similar in meaning to ๐๐ฝ
posted by Secret Sparrow at 11:59 AM on January 19, 2019
posted by Secret Sparrow at 11:59 AM on January 19, 2019
Using the Armenian script gives people a wealth of different smile options. Not exactly your question, but fun nonetheless. I cannot find a good list of them, but here are some examples:
ึีฉ ึีฑ ึี ึึ ึ ึึ ึีน ึีณ ึึ ึีฅ ึีผ ึีจ ึีฆ ึีฒ ึึ ึีข ึีต ึี ึิพ ึี ึี
ึี (This is often used for LOL).
posted by k8t at 3:52 PM on January 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
ึีฉ ึีฑ ึี ึึ ึ ึึ ึีน ึีณ ึึ ึีฅ ึีผ ึีจ ึีฆ ึีฒ ึึ ึีข ึีต ึี ึิพ ึี ึี
ึี (This is often used for LOL).
posted by k8t at 3:52 PM on January 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Apparently in the UK the eggplant (aubergine) emoji is a sex thing โ invitation or comment, I don't know. I only know this from listening to BBC radio sometimes. I don't think it's used that way in North America.
posted by zadcat at 4:54 PM on January 19, 2019
posted by zadcat at 4:54 PM on January 19, 2019
The eggplant emoji is very definitely a (light, jokey) sex thing in North America, at least among my 25-40 year old cohort.
posted by JuliaIglesias at 5:07 PM on January 19, 2019 [15 favorites]
posted by JuliaIglesias at 5:07 PM on January 19, 2019 [15 favorites]
๐ = penis
๐ = vulva (or bum, depending on the context)
Can confirm these are known meanings in Canada.
posted by Secret Sparrow at 6:11 PM on January 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
๐ = vulva (or bum, depending on the context)
Can confirm these are known meanings in Canada.
posted by Secret Sparrow at 6:11 PM on January 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
Emojipedia is a useful resource if you are looking for unexpected meanings of an emoji you have either sent or received. Here is their entry for "Eggplant" for example.
A 2016 study by Hannah Miller looked at the degree to which interpretation of various emojis varies. (full paper is available from this link as a PDF). She highlighted, in particular she talked about the variation in interpretation for this guy: ๐ - is that a happy smile or a grimace? It turns out that on a Microsoft platform - about 44% of people think the latter and 54% the former; people don't agree AT ALL on what is being said - even though they think they may be being clear. And those figures are just on one platform and within one country - probably amongst groups of students of roughly the same age from the same university. If we could see the sender making the face they are trying to convey as they spoke - then then we would have a fighting chance. But we are having to rely on 2 illustrators who are trying to capture the right sort of face for the sender and render that sort of face for the recipient.
Broadly speaking, it appears that that use of any emoji is likely to make your communication more ambiguous than it would have been without one. Except for the old school classics, I mean. ;-)
posted by rongorongo at 11:58 PM on January 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
A 2016 study by Hannah Miller looked at the degree to which interpretation of various emojis varies. (full paper is available from this link as a PDF). She highlighted, in particular she talked about the variation in interpretation for this guy: ๐ - is that a happy smile or a grimace? It turns out that on a Microsoft platform - about 44% of people think the latter and 54% the former; people don't agree AT ALL on what is being said - even though they think they may be being clear. And those figures are just on one platform and within one country - probably amongst groups of students of roughly the same age from the same university. If we could see the sender making the face they are trying to convey as they spoke - then then we would have a fighting chance. But we are having to rely on 2 illustrators who are trying to capture the right sort of face for the sender and render that sort of face for the recipient.
Broadly speaking, it appears that that use of any emoji is likely to make your communication more ambiguous than it would have been without one. Except for the old school classics, I mean. ;-)
posted by rongorongo at 11:58 PM on January 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
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๐โโ๏ธ
๐โโ๏ธOriginally , now
๐ค , now
posted by zamboni at 11:03 AM on January 19, 2019