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Kaomoji (¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
Kaomoji are Japanese text faces — whole expressions built from ordinary characters, like the shrug ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Click any face to copy the entire string.
Copy the full text
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Full text | ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ |
| Single code point | None — this is a string of 9 separate Unicode characters, not one symbol, so it has no single code point, HTML entity or Alt code. The character-by-character breakdown is below. |
Character breakdown
Every character used, with its real Unicode name and code point — each one copyable on its own:
| Character | Unicode name | Code point |
|---|---|---|
| ¯ | Macron | U+00AF |
| \ | Reverse Solidus | U+005C |
| _ | Low Line | U+005F |
| ( | Left Parenthesis | U+0028 |
| ツ | Katakana Letter Tu | U+30C4 |
| ) | Right Parenthesis | U+0029 |
| / | Solidus | U+002F |
Kaomoji collection (24)
24 named entries — click any tile to copy it. No duplicates.
Meaning & usage
Kaomoji (顔文字, 'face characters') grew up on Japanese forums and flip phones in the 1980s and 90s, a decade before emoji pictures existed. Where Western emoticons tilt sideways — :) needs a turned head — kaomoji read upright, with the expression carried by elaborate eyes and arms: the katakana ツ as a grin in the shrug, ಠ_ಠ for outrage, bear ears in ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ.
Because they are plain text, kaomoji work everywhere text works, in any font, at any size, and they paste into games, chats and bios where image stickers cannot go. The catch is the flip side of the same fact: a kaomoji is not one symbol but a string of separate characters, so there is no single code point for it — the breakdown table on this page shows exactly which characters build the featured face, each verified against the Unicode Character Database.
Examples in use
- Can't find my keys ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ bear hug?
- (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ — when the meeting moves again
How to type it
Windows
There is no keyboard shortcut for a multi-character face — it is a string of ordinary characters, not one symbol. Copy it from this page and paste (Ctrl+V). Power users save favourites in a text-expander or in Windows' clipboard history (Win+V).
Mac
There is no Option-key shortcut for a whole face. Copy it from this page and paste (Cmd+V), or save it in System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements to type it from a short code.
iPhone & Android
Copy the face from this page and paste it into any chat or bio. On iPhone, Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement turns it into a shortcut; on Android, Gboard's personal dictionary does the same.
Linux
Copy and paste works everywhere. In GTK apps you can also build a face character by character with Ctrl+Shift+U code-point entry, using the breakdown table above.
Frequently asked questions
What does kaomoji mean?
Kaomoji is Japanese for 'face characters': kao (face) + moji (characters). They are expressions typed from letters, brackets and symbols instead of drawn pictures.
Is kaomoji the same as emoji?
No. Emoji are single picture characters chosen by your phone maker. Kaomoji are strings of ordinary text characters, so they look the same on every device and work in plain-text places.
Why does the shrug use ツ?
ツ is the Japanese katakana character 'tsu'. Turned into a face it reads as a wide grin, which is why the shrug — and the classic Japanese smiley — wear it.
Can I type kaomoji on my phone keyboard?
Japanese keyboards (flick input) have a kaomoji key with a built-in library. Elsewhere, the reliable way is to copy a face here and save it as a text-replacement shortcut.
Related
More in Text Faces & Kaomoji · All symbols
Data: Unicode Character Database · Page updated 2026-11-13