Where it comes from
The vertical bar | is the edge of a wall or doorway, and only half of a shobon-style face (´・ω・`) sticks out from behind it. In Japanese it goes with the sound effect chira (a quick peek).
When to use it
Use it when you return to a quiet chat, lurk in a thread, or check if someone is around. It is shy and cute, and fine in almost any casual setting.
Examples
- Is anyone still awake |ω・｀)
- Just checking if the meeting is over |ω・｀)
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.
|
U+007Cvertical lineω
U+03C9greek small letter omega・
U+30FBkatakana middle dot｀
U+FF40fullwidth grave accent)
U+0029right parenthesis