Think you know what these emojis mean? You might be surprised what they stand for in other cultures

Emojis are part of our day-to-day conversations, though sometimes they can get lost in translation .

There are often misunderstandings through emojis when communicating between generations, but there are also different meanings for some emojis across different cultures and countries.

“People can attach all sorts of different second meanings to these little pictures,” Noël Wolf, a linguistic expert at language learning platform Babbel, told the Daily Mail .

So what do these emojis mean to different people? Here’s what the experts say:

🤘 Sign of the Horns

The “sign of the horns” emoji is typically synonymous with rock ‘n’ roll and portrays “a ‘rock on’ hand gesture raising the pinky and index fingers on one hand,” according to Emojipedia .

The exact origins of this hand gesture are not 100% known, but it’s widely been associated with rock and metal since rock band Black Sabbath made it popular in the 1970s and ’80s.

But that meaning isn’t universal.

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“In some Mediterranean and Spanish-speaking countries, including Italy, Portugal and Mexico, this gesture pointed towards an individual can be taken implying somebody is a cuckold,” Wolf shared.

She explained that “the words in these countries’ languages for somebody who has been cheated on are linked linguistically to the word for ‘horns,’ such as the word ‘cornuto’ in Italian.”

♨️ Hot Springs

Emojipedia defines this emoji as “hot springs,” a character that might not be instantly recognizable to some cultures.

However, in Japan, the symbol is instantly recognizable as steam rising off an “onsen,” which is a traditional Japanese hot-spring bath.

In fact, the emoji is placed on maps in Japan to indicate bath locations.

Wolf explained that since emojis were first invented in Japan, some of the images often represent things from Japanese culture.

🍥 Fish Cake with Swirl

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Another emoji with a Japanese origin, this swirly symbol is a “slice of Japanese narutomaki, a ridged fishcake of processed whitefish with an iconic pink swirl, often served in ramen or oden,” according to Emojipedia .

The emoji dictionary notes that because of the pink swirl, the symbol is sometimes used for “flair.”

In Japanese culture, people often use it to mean a meal or eating.

🏩 Love Hotel

This emoji is often mistaken for a “get well soon” symbol due to its similarity with the 🏥 hospital emoji — but it means something almost entirely different.

“A love hotel is a hotel that can be hired by the hour instead of as accommodation for the evening,” Emojipedia explains .

The Microsoft version of this symbol originally showed a bed with a heart above it.

💁‍♀️ Person Tipping Hand

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This is one emoji that varies in definition by generation. To people who are older, this emoji is typically used to describe an assistant or a person working.

“Originally designed to represent a person working at an information desk, it was approved as part of the Unicode standard in 2010 with the name ‘information desk person,'” Wolf explained.

But just like language, the meaning of this emoji evolved with the times.

Now, Emojipedia defines this symbol as “a woman tipping her hand by her shoulder as if she’s carrying a tray of drinks or flipping her hair” — often used to express sassiness or sarcasm.

🍵 Teacup Without Handle

According to Emojipedia , this emoji depicts a cup of green tea — the minty-colored Japanese matcha, which is traditionally served in a small bowl that resembles a cup without a handle — shown on a wooden mat.

The symbol is often mistaken for a bowl of soup, such as a split pea.

However, to many — especially Gen Z — “tea” now means “gossip” and is often used with the phrase “spill the tea,” so the green tea emoji is now widely used for that meaning.

“Some of the unexpected double meanings that are accelerated on social media might be baffling to older generations who are not up to date with the latest developments on these platforms,” Wolf said.

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