Where it comes from
The two m's are hands (fingers) placed on the floor, and (_ _) is a head bowed so low you only see the closed eyes. It comes from the Japanese custom of bowing.
When to use it
Use it when asking a favor, thanking someone or apologizing in casual messages. In Japan it's common even in light work chat, but it isn't a substitute for a proper apology.
Examples
- Could you cover my shift on Friday? m(_ _)m
- Thanks for the notes, lifesaver m(_ _)m
Variants to copy
What it is made of
Every character in the face with its Unicode code point — handy if one shows up as a box on a friend's phone.
m
U+006Dlatin small letter m(
U+0028left parenthesis_
U+005Flow line)
U+0029right parenthesis