--- title: "Chinese Emoji Meanings: What 🙂 👍 🐶 Mean in Chinese Chats, WeChat Emoji Codes and 🈶 🉑 to Copy" description: "What emoji mean in Chinese chats (why 🙂 is rude, 🐶 🍉 🍋 🐴 666), 28 WeChat emoji codes like [捂脸] and [旺柴], what the Chinese character on each emoji means in Mandarin, from 🈶 有 and 🈚 无 to 🉑 可 and ㊗️ 祝, beside Unicode’s name for it, and 12 emoji for Chinese things (🧧 红包, 🏮 灯笼, 🥟 饺子) with their Chinese words. Tap any emoji to copy it." canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-emoji" author: "Mandarin The Wild" --- Free · 72 emoji # Chinese emoji Tap an emoji or a code to copy it. ## Emoji that mean something else in Chinese ### 微笑 wēixiào Smile Often cold or sarcastic, a polite “whatever”, above all to younger people. Parents and older colleagues usually mean it kindly. 好的🙂 ### 点赞 diǎnzàn Thumbs up From parents and bosses, “well done” or “got it”. From a friend, a lone 👍 can feel like a cold end to the chat. 收到👍 ### 狗头 gǒutóu Dog head “Just kidding”: added after a cheeky line so nobody takes it badly. People say 狗头保命, the dog head saves my life. 老板今天不在，我们放假吧🐶 ### 吃瓜 chīguā Eating melon Watching gossip or drama from the sidelines, like grabbing popcorn. Bystanders are 吃瓜群众, the melon-eating crowd. 我就是来吃瓜的🍉 ### 柠檬精 níngméngjīng Lemon spirit Jealous. Envy is sour (酸) in Chinese, so 🍋 says “I’m so jealous”, usually as a joke. 你又去旅游了？我酸了🍋 ### 牛 niú Cow Impressive: 你真牛, you’re amazing. 🐮🍺 (牛啤, cow beer) sounds like 牛逼, a coarse word for awesome. 一天就写完了？🐮🍺 ### 绿茶 lǜchá Green tea An insult for a woman who acts sweet and innocent while scheming. The tea itself is fine. 她太绿茶了🍵 ### 小丑 xiǎochǒu Clown Feeling like a fool, usually about yourself: 小丑竟是我自己, the clown was me all along. 小丑竟是我自己🤡 ### 马住 mǎzhù Horse Saved for later: 马 (mǎ, horse) sounds like 码 (mǎ, to note down). 先马后看 is “bookmark now, watch later”. 这个攻略太有用了，马住🐴 ### 草 cǎo Grass “Damn!” or “lol”: 草 sounds like a swear word (cào), and the sprig of grass softens it. 草🌿，我忘带钥匙了 ### 鸭梨 yālí Pear Stress: 鸭梨 (yālí, pear) sounds like 压力 (yālì, pressure), so 鸭梨山大 is “pressure as big as a mountain”. 下周考试，鸭梨山大🍐 ### 摸鱼 mōyú Touching fish Slacking off at work or school, doing as little as you can get away with. 老板不在，摸鱼🐟 ### 搬砖 bānzhuān Moving bricks Going to work: any dull job done for the money. 周一了，又要去搬砖了🧱 ### 菜 cài Vegetable Bad at something, a beginner, often in games: 你好菜, you’re so bad. 我太菜了🥬 ### 666 liùliùliù Six six six Awesome, slick: 六 (liù) sounds like 溜 (liù), smooth and skilled. Nothing to do with the devil. 这波操作666 ### 汗 hàn Sweat Awkward, lost for words: the drop of sweat when someone says something embarrassing. 你认真的吗😅 ## WeChat emoji codes Type or paste a code in a WeChat chat and it turns into WeChat’s emoji. - 微笑 wēixiào**Smile** · Cold or sarcastic to younger people (see 🙂 above) - 捂脸 wǔliǎn**Facepalm** · Laughing at something awkward, “I can’t even” - 呲牙 cīyá**Grin** · A real, happy laugh - 偷笑 tōuxiào**Snicker** · Secretly pleased with yourself - 奸笑 jiānxiào**Sly smile** · Teasing, up to something - 机智 jīzhì**Clever** · “Smart move”, pleased with an idea - 旺柴 wàngchái**Doge** · Just kidding (see 🐶 above) - 吃瓜 chīguā**Eating melon** · Watching the drama (see 🍉 above) - 破涕为笑 pòtì wéixiào**Tears of joy** · Laughing so hard it hurts - 汗 hàn**Sweat** · Awkward, speechless - 尴尬 gāngà**Awkward** · Embarrassed - 翻白眼 fān báiyǎn**Eye roll** · “Seriously?”, mild scorn - Emm emm**Emm** · Hesitating, not sure what to say - 裂开 lièkāi**Cracking up** · Falling apart, jokingly devastated - 苦涩 kǔsè**Bitter** · A forced smile through the pain - 叹气 tànqì**Sigh** · Tired, resigned - 天啊 tiān a**Oh my god** · Shocked - 让我看看 ràng wǒ kànkan**Let me see** · Nosy: show me - 社会社会 shèhuì shèhuì**So gangster** · Tough-guy respect, said as a joke - 打脸 dǎliǎn**Face slap** · Proven wrong - 加油 jiāyóu**Keep going** · Encouragement: you can do it - 666 liùliùliù**Six six six** · Awesome (see 666 above) - 强 qiáng**Thumbs up** · WeChat’s 👍 (see above) - 抱拳 bàoquán**Fist salute** · Thanks, respect - 合十 héshí**Palms together** · Thank you, or please - 抠鼻 kōubí**Nose-picking** · Couldn’t care less - 可怜 kělián**Pitiful** · Puppy eyes, begging a favour - 红包 hóngbāo**Red envelope** · A gift of money, or asking for one ## Emoji with a Chinese character ### 有 yǒu to have; there is Unicode: Japanese “not free of charge” button ### 無 (无) wú none; without Unicode: Japanese “free of charge” button ### 申 shēn to state, as in 申请 (to apply) Unicode: Japanese “application” button ### 営 (营) yíng to run, as in 营业 (open for business) Unicode: Japanese “open for business” button ### 月 yuè month; moon Unicode: Japanese “monthly amount” button ### 指 zhǐ finger; to point at Unicode: Japanese “reserved” button ### 得 dé to get Unicode: Japanese “bargain” button ### 割 gē to cut Unicode: Japanese “discount” button ### 禁 jìn to forbid Unicode: Japanese “prohibited” button ### 可 kě can; may Unicode: Japanese “acceptable” button ### 合 hé to join; to fit Unicode: Japanese “passing grade” button ### 空 kōng empty Unicode: Japanese “vacancy” button ### 満 (满) mǎn full Unicode: Japanese “no vacancy” button ### 祝 zhù to wish; to celebrate Unicode: Japanese “congratulations” button ### 秘 mì secret, as in 秘密 Unicode: Japanese “secret” button ### 中 zhōng middle Unicode: mahjong red dragon ## Emoji for Chinese things ### 红包 hóngbāo red envelope (a gift of money) ### 灯笼 dēnglong lantern ### 鞭炮 biānpào firecracker ### 龙 lóng dragon ### 月饼 yuèbing mooncake ### 饺子 jiǎozi dumpling ### 筷子 kuàizi chopsticks ### 茶 chá tea ### 面条 miàntiáo noodles ### 熊猫 xióngmāo panda ### 麻将 májiàng mahjong ### 中国 Zhōngguó China [Print as flashcards](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-flashcards?level=mine&words=%E5%BE%AE%E7%AC%91%20%E7%82%B9%E8%B5%9E%20%E5%90%83%E7%93%9C%20%E6%9F%A0%E6%AA%AC%E7%B2%BE%20%E7%89%9B%20%E7%BB%BF%E8%8C%B6%20%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%91%20%E8%8D%89%20%E6%91%B8%E9%B1%BC%20%E8%8F%9C%20%E6%B1%97%20%E6%9C%BA%E6%99%BA%20%E5%B0%B4%E5%B0%AC%20%E8%A3%82%E5%BC%80%20%E8%8B%A6%E6%B6%A9%20%E5%8F%B9%E6%B0%94%20%E5%8A%A0%E6%B2%B9%20%E5%BC%BA%20%E5%8F%AF%E6%80%9C%20%E7%BA%A2%E5%8C%85%20%E6%9C%89%20%E6%97%A0%20%E6%9C%88%20%E6%8C%87%20%E5%BE%97%20%E5%89%B2%20%E7%A6%81%20%E5%8F%AF%20%E7%A9%BA%20%E6%BB%A1%20%E7%A5%9D%20%E7%81%AF%E7%AC%BC%20%E9%9E%AD%E7%82%AE%20%E9%BE%99%20%E6%9C%88%E9%A5%BC%20%E9%A5%BA%E5%AD%90%20%E7%AD%B7%E5%AD%90%20%E8%8C%B6%20%E9%9D%A2%E6%9D%A1%20%E7%86%8A%E7%8C%AB%20%E9%BA%BB%E5%B0%86%20%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD) ## Why is the smiling emoji rude in Chinese? In Chinese chats the plain smile (🙂, WeChat’s [微笑]) reads as a forced, polite smile, so it often comes across as cold, mocking or dismissive. Studies of Chinese users find younger people read it as sarcastic more often than older ones, who still use it kindly. To smile warmly, send 😄, [呲牙] or [愉快]. ## What does 👍 mean in Chinese? Approval, “well done” or “got it”: in WeChat it is [强], and 点赞 (diǎnzàn) is to give a like. From a friend of your own age a lone 👍 can feel curt, the way a one-word “OK” does. ## How do you send WeChat emoji? Type the code with its square brackets in a WeChat chat, such as [捂脸], and it shows as the emoji. Tap a code on this page to copy it. Outside WeChat the code stays text. ## What are the Chinese emojis on the iPhone? The 15 square buttons with a character on them, such as 🈶 and 🈚, and the mahjong tile 🀄. They came from Japanese phones, so Unicode names them for their Japanese use (🈹 is the “discount” button), but every character is Chinese too and reads in Mandarin: 🈶 is 有 (yǒu), “to have”. Three use Japanese or traditional forms: 無, 営 and 満 are written 无, 营 and 满 in mainland China. ## What does 🉑 mean in Chinese? 可 (kě), “can; may”, as in 可以 (kěyǐ), “OK, that works”. Unicode calls it the Japanese “acceptable” button. ## More to copy - [Chinese punctuation](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-punctuation) - [Chinese internet slang](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-slang) - [Chinese keyboard](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-keyboard) Emoji names from Unicode’s emoji list; meanings and pinyin from our own dictionary. WeChat codes are the names WeChat gives its emoji. Readings of 🙂 by age from studies of Chinese users’ chats (Heliyon, 2024; Social Science Computer Review, 2024).