EmojiHand emoji are the most borrowed and the most misread. A gesture can mean one thing in your home town and something else in another country. This page lists common ones and the usual readings. If you are writing to someone from another culture, choose the ones you are sure about.
| Emoji | Usual reading | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 🙏 | Thanks, please, or prayer. In India it also reads as namaste, a greeting or respect. | Unicode calls it "folded hands". Many people read it as a high five, which is a different idea. |
| 👍 | Okay, yes, well done. | Very common in chat. A few cultures read it as rude, so avoid it with people you do not know from some regions. |
| 👌 | Okay, perfect. | Has a different meaning in some countries. |
| ✌️ | Peace, victory, or two. | Common in photos. |
| 👋 | Hello or goodbye. | Friendly everywhere. |
| 🤝 | Deal, agreement, meeting. | Good for business messages. |
| 👏 | Applause, well done. | Sometimes used sarcastically if repeated between words. |
| 🙌 | Celebrating, praise. | Both hands raised. |
| 🤞 | Fingers crossed, hoping for luck. | Understood widely; meaning differs in a few places. |
| 💪 | Strength, effort, gym. | Used to cheer someone on. |
| 🫶 | Heart hands: love and appreciation. | Newer emoji; may not show on very old phones. |
| 🤙 | Call me, or a relaxed greeting. | Casual; known in many places. |
Safe choices for work
With clients or elders, 🙏, 🤝 and 👋 are usually safe. Use 👍 if you know the person well. Skip hand gestures if you are unsure, and write "thank you" or "agreed" in words.
Skin tones
Hand emoji can be shown in several skin tones; see the skin tones guide. Pick the one you like; there is no rule that you must match your own skin.
All hand emoji are on the people and body page.