When early mobile phones from Japan were released in 1997 with the first generation of emojis, its creators may not have expected how popular these icons would become in today’s digital age.
As someone who depends on smartphones for nearly all communication, how often do you send a chat message to your loved ones with at least one emoji? Probably all the time! Unless you are brave or just that great with words, using these emojis can help prevent misunderstandings by adding an extra layer of expressiveness.
This idea of using quirky faces to show emotions via text messages became popular in Korea, as evidenced by their habitual love for emojis and through their digital messaging platform, Kakaotalk.
Home to a massive collection of unique emojis, Kakaotalk probably has all the emojis you’d ever need for a lifetime, with one of them being the exciting finger/hand hearts you’re already familiar with.
However, what exactly are they, and what meaning do they hold? Let’s dive right in and look more into it!
What is the meaning behind the finger heart?
Making finger hearts is really simple: crisscross your thumb and index finger. Just like that, you’ve now got a small heart shape in your hands! This simple action of moving your two fingers shows your love to those you hold dear.
In addition, the gesture can also indicate a pleasant feeling between givers and receivers of the finger heart. Moreover, it perfectly substitutes the bigger hand hearts many K-pop celebrities and actors do on TV.
Is BTS responsible for the finger hearts?
It’s safe to say that credit usually goes to K-pops and K-dramas for everything that becomes famous to the innumerable Korean culture fans around the globe. Thus, this gesture was propagated by the renowned South Korean boy band BTS, as they started using it to voice their love and appreciation for their adoring fans without saying anything.
As expected, the finger hearts became a viral sensation for nearly everyone. From everyday people to influencers and western celebrities, they are frequently seen using this affectionate gesture.
However, despite what many people would think, BTS did not create the finger hearts. So, who did? Some claim that Nam Woo-Hyun from another popular boy band group called INFINITE made the gesture. Others say it was Kim Hye-Soo, a renowned actress in the country.
Even a few have stepped up to claim it was them that started it all, one of them being G-Dragon, a well-known rapper, who supported his claim with a childhood photo that shows him striking a pose with the adorable gesture. The answer varies, with all of them being Korean celebrities from the millennial generation.
Regardless, the truth is that a definite answer does not exist. What’s more important is that this modern symbol of love exists and has caught on everywhere.
Saying finger heart in the Korean language
If you’re interested in learning how to say “finger heart” in the Korean language, we’ve got you covered! For starters, let’s tackle the first word, finger. This translates to 손가락, pronounced as son-ga rak.
For heart, this translates to 심장, or shim-jang. While it may seem like one only has to combine these words to say finger heart, the Koreans prefer using 손가락 하트 instead, which reads son-ga-rak ha teu.
All in all, the culture of the Land of the Morning Calm is certainly not lacking in regards to world-renowned contributions, and the finger hearts are only one of many that exist now and will become popular in the future.
If you’re well-invested in Korean culture, enrolling in a Korean language school in Singapore lets you know more about it directly and gain the gain the social advantages from learning korean.
Conclusion
Korean culture is brimming with many exciting things, including the finger hearts, many know and love today. If you have always dreamed of picking up Korean but are unsure of where to start, then sign up for our immersive Korean language courses today!
As a leading Korean language school in Singapore, Sejong offers engaging classes that let students pick up the language quickly through tried-and-tested teaching methodologies guaranteed to achieve their desired fluency!