Greeting Kaomoji

Greeting kaomoji are Japanese text faces that wave hello or goodbye, or bow to say thank you and sorry, like (・∀・)ノ. The bowing faces come straight from Japanese manners, where a small bow closes almost any polite exchange. Tap any face below to copy it, or open the kaomoji picker for every mood on one page.

Greeting Kaomoji to Copy and Paste

Every face is plain text, so it works as a friendly opener in any chat or email.

How to Read a Greeting Kaomoji

Waves are built from raised arms. Bows are built from a lowered head.

• (・∀・)ノ raises one arm with ノ, the katakana no, which looks like a hand lifted in a wave.
• ヾ(＾-＾)ノ waves with both hands, using ヾ, a katakana repeat mark, as the second arm.
• m(_ _)m is a formal bow. The two m letters are hands flat on the floor, and _ _ are eyes looking down at it.
• orz is a person on hands and knees seen from the side: o is the head, r the arms and back, z the folded legs. It means deep apology, or being utterly defeated.
• ありがとう(*´ω`*) writes arigatou, “thank you”, in hiragana before a warm face.

When to Use Greeting Kaomoji

Open a chat with a wave and it feels friendlier straight away. Close a request or an apology with a bow and it feels more sincere. The bowing faces mirror ojigi (お辞儀, おじぎ), the Japanese bow, which says thanks, sorry and please all at once. For more on why apologies carry so much weight in Japan, read about meiwaku o kakenai, the habit of not burdening others.

More Kaomoji Categories

A hello often comes with a smile, so try happy kaomoji and cute kaomoji. For a warmer goodbye, send hug kaomoji, or wave off with dancing kaomoji.

FAQ

What does m(_ _)m mean?

m(_ _)m is a person bowing low with their hands on the floor. It means thank you or sorry, politely and sincerely, and it is common in Japanese messages, where it can also soften a request.

What does orz mean?

orz is a figure kneeling on hands and knees: o is the head, r the arms and body, and z the legs. It means defeat, despair or a very deep apology, and it began in Japanese online chat.

What is the kaomoji for hello?

A simple wave like (・∀・)ノ or (*・ω・)ﾉ means hello. For an excited greeting, wave both hands, as in ヾ(・ω・ﾉ)ﾉ.