Insider's guide to WeChat emojis / 教教外国朋友如何正确使用微信表情

This is an article especially recommended for foreigners who cannot use the "" emoji in WeChat in its true form. 

Over the years, online emojis have transformed into a new level of symbolic language. Sometimes, they are tricky, rather vague, and at other times, they can be more meaningful than the text itself; so it’s hard to decipher the real meaning behind those innocent-looking faces. 

In China, many of its home-grown online apps have their distinct emojis. As the most popular social network application in China, Wechat's emojis have a character of their own. 

But for non-Chinese speaking users, getting the subtext of those emojis can be sometimes difficult - they are likely to create some misunderstandings, especially in the workplace.

So it's about we help our foreign friends. Here, we have selected some of the most popular emojis on WeChat in an attempt to shed light on the world of Chinese emojis.

I. "The smiley face"

"Smile" is arguably the most abused WeChat emoji of all time. Harmless as it seems, the emoji is actually used to express sarcasm or contempt toward other's opinions in a very condescending manner. If used in a group chat, it makes others look bad.

While it was never designed to be that way, carries the same meaning as “呵呵” in Chinese - a gentle expression of kindness but now turned into a common derogatory online meme.

【Advice】

- Use it among your closest friends, perhaps as a joke.

- Don't use it while texting your boss. It could be very defiant and challenging, so better avoid it.

- When someone uses this emoji in their reply, consider you just said something utterly stupid or irritating.

【Example】

- Hey, how do you like the new shirt I bought today?

- Yeah, that shirt is very nice.  

II.   Grimace

"Grimace" is a good choice to alleviate your painful embarrassment. It is humble and self-deprecating, so better use it next time when you're in an awkward position - it certainly helps. The Chinese character "囧” will do the same.

【Advice】

- Your boss might forgive your stupid mistake when you're this cute.

- Alternatively, you can also try or . The latter two are more often used by female users.

【Example】

- Oops! I did it again. 

III. or or  

WeChat has a rather long list of happy-face emojis, but their meaning can be nuanced.

For beginners, "Grin" is the safest choice. It is the most popular WeChat emoji, according to WeChat's official statistics - it was used 52 billion times in 2015. You can use as a greeting, to agree with somebody's views or simply as a friendly gesture.

Secondly, "Chuckle" is also very popular among the younger generation. It can be used for responding to a joke between friends or strangers; it can also connote a slight teasing, but definately not harmful.

"Joyful" seems very cute, but it also makes one look childish, so better avoid using it while texting people younger than you or in an inferior position.

【Advice】

-Think twice before you smile.

- Like the notorious , to smile properly is definately no easy task in WeChat. Bear in mind, to choose the right "happy" emoji is crucial to build up your online image !  

IV. Scowl

No, it's not an expression of "dislike" or "frown." It is more of "What happened?" or "What am I doing here?"  sort of emoji. This can also be used to express shock or surprise.

【Advice】

-You can use this emoji if you were totally missed an event or have no idea what just happened. To show your "surprise,"   would be a better option.

【Example】

- Happy birthday!

- What?  I don't even remember! 

VI. Waving hand

Time to say goodbye? Of course, you can use this emoji to say bye. However the "Wave" emoji has also started to convey some sort of self-pitying sentiment in recent years.

It is often used in situations when you have been defeated by someone else's brilliant victory or simply annoyed by the fact that you're still a loser.

【Advice】

-Complicated as it seems, this emoji is always not taken seriously. So feel free to use it mostly on informal occasions.

-You can still use it as "goodbye," but using it to say "hello" seems a bit unconventional.

【Example】

-Guess what, I just got the exclusive ticket to tomorrow's live show!

-We are not friends anymore.

Learned something? Share it with your innocent expat friends:)