Person bowing, U+1F647, is the bowing emoji. One tap copies it, as a person, man or woman, in five skin tones. Then come 36 text bows, from m(_ _)m to orz, seven near misses and 12 combos: 58 in all.
Read the full guide
How deep to bow
Wikipedia's article Bowing in Japan gives three standing depths: about 15Β° for a colleague, about 30Β° for a client, and 45Β° to 70Β° for an apology or a big request. Call (_ _) the first. ββ bends a full right angle, which the article records at a shrine. m(_ _)m goes past all of them and kneels.
orz kneels, but not to say sorry
orz is a figure on its knees: o the head, r the arms, z the legs. Wikipedia traces it to a Japanese forum in late 2002, where _|οΏ£|β was typed to draw a cable cover and readers saw a person kneeling. It can show respect, but the article says it commonly signals frustration or despair.
Tips
Pick a skin tone once. The three bowing emoji follow it, and so does every hand and person in the 12 combos.
Man bowing and Woman bowing are joined sequences from Emoji 4.0. A device without them shows a bow and a gender sign instead.
STO keeps its head on the right and orz on the left. Type STO, a name, then orz, and both kneel towards it.
Questions and answers
What does the bowing emoji mean?
An apology or a request, going by the record. Unicode's formal name is Person bowing deeply, and its names list says the drawing is usually dogeza, the seated Japanese bow. CLDR files it under apology, sorry, forgive, beg and favor.
What does m(_ _)m mean?
Sorry, mostly. Wiktionary reads the two m as hands and the middle as a bowed head: a person bowing in apology, a dogeza. Wikipedia's list of emoticons gives it a second reading, a kowtow as a sign of respect.
Is there a bowing emoji for thank you?
Not by itself. CLDR lists thanks for Folded hands and People hugging, never for the bow, so Bow and thanks pairs the two. In text the bow can carry the word with it: γγγγ¨γγγγγΎγ (_ _) is Japanese for thank you very much.
Do the text bows work everywhere?
The 19 typed in ASCII, from m(_ _)m to _no, need no special font. The other 17 reach further: katakana, a Hangul letter, box-drawing corners, and in (α΄ΝΛ¬α΄Ν) two combining marks. A device with no font for one of those shows an empty box.
πββοΈMan bowingU+1F647 U+200D U+2642 U+FE0F. Four code points drawn as one: Person bowing, a zero width joiner, Male sign and a variation selector. Emoji 4.0.
πPerson bowingU+1F647. Unicode names the character Person bowing deeply and notes that it is most often drawn as dogeza, the seated Japanese bow. CLDR lists apology, sorry and favor for it, and no word for thanks. Emoji 0.6.
πββοΈWoman bowingU+1F647 U+200D U+2640 U+FE0F. The same recipe with Female sign. Pick a skin tone and it runs to five code points. Emoji 4.0.
Deep bows in text 13
(γ·_ _)γ·Katakana letter si, twice, for flung arms
<(_ _)>Elbows only, hands tucked out of sight
_(._.)_Dot eyes, and a low line for each palm
_(_^_)_A circumflex nose, nearly on the floor
εδΈεΊ§Dogeza, the word itself: prostration, in three characters
ο½οΌοΌΏγοΌΏοΌο½All fullwidth characters: the same bow, twice as wide
m(._.)mDot eyes, glancing up mid-bow
m(_ _)mThe standard: each m is a hand, the middle a bowed head
γι‘γγγΎγ m(_ _)mWith the Japanese for please, pressing a request
m(_ _)m γγγγͺγγWith the Japanese for I am sorry
m(_ _;)mA semicolon of sweat: sorry, and worried about it
m(__)mThe same bow, typed without the space
<m(__)m>Angle brackets add the elbows
Show all 58 ways to bow (42 more)
Nods and thank-you bows 11
(*- -)(*_ _)γγ³γͺEyes level, eyes down, then the Japanese word for a quick bow
(*_ _)δΊΊHead down, with δΊΊ standing in for pressed palms
(_ _)The least you can do: eyes down
(α΄ΝΛ¬α΄Ν)Lowered lashes. Its two combining marks may not survive the trip
(γ Β΄ Λ `)Hangul letter sios for pressed palms, eyes shut
<(_ _*)>An asterisk of blush: flustered thanks
ββSide view: a box corner for the body, a circle for the head
ββ ββTwo of them, bowing to each other
γγγγ¨γγγγγΎγ (_ _)With the Japanese for thank you very much
γγΏγΎγγ <(_ _)>With one Japanese word for sorry, excuse me and thank you
*bows*The stage direction, in asterisks
Kneeling: orz and its family 12
_|οΏ£|βThe 2002 original, first typed to draw a cable cover
_εβA CJK character for the arched back
β|οΏ£|_The original, mirrored to face the other way
JTOHead on the right, with a J for the feet
_noHead on the right, in lower case
on_Lower and flatter: the low line is the legs
Or2A digit 2 for the folded legs
orzo is the head, r the arms, z the legs
OTLIn capitals: a squarer back and straighter legs
OTZCapitals, with the bent knees of the z kept
ε§rzThe character for patterned window, used as a stricken face
STOTurned round: the head is on the right
Near misses 7
πConfused faceU+1F615. Besides the three bows, the only emoji CLDR lists under sorry. Emoji 1.0.
π₯ΉFace holding back tearsU+1F979. CLDR lists grateful and gratitude here, and lists neither word for the bow. Emoji 14.0.
πFolded handsU+1F64F. CLDR lists bow, please and thanks for it, and the Unicode names list says it can indicate bowing or thanking. Emoji 0.6.
π§Person in lotus positionU+1F9D8. CLDR lists meditation for this and for Person bowing, so a search for that word returns both. Emoji 5.0.
π§Person kneelingU+1F9CE. Upright on both knees. Wikipedia describes dogeza as kneeling on the ground and then bowing until the head touches the floor, so this is the step before. Emoji 12.0.
π₯ΊPleading faceU+1F97A. CLDR lists begging and mercy. The look that comes before the bow. Emoji 11.0.
π«‘Saluting faceU+1FAE1. The only emoji CLDR lists under respect. A bow for people in a hurry. Emoji 14.0.
Bowing combos 12
π₯ΊπBegging bowPleading face, then person bowing. The eyes first, then the floor. CLDR lists beg for the bow and begging for the face.
ππBow and thanksPerson bowing, then folded hands. CLDR lists thanks for Folded hands and not for the bow, so the pair spells it out. Both follow the skin tone you pick.
ππBow to the crownPerson bowing, then crown. For someone far above your level. CLDR lists king, queen and royal for Crown.
ππBow with a giftPerson bowing, then wrapped gift. CLDR lists bow for Wrapped gift as well, meaning the ribbon.
ππBow with flowersPerson bowing, then bouquet. An apology that stopped at a florist on the way.
ππ₯Dojo bowPerson bowing, then martial arts uniform. Wikipedia records kendo players bowing to the dojo on the way in and on the way out. Unicode has no kendo emoji; its names list gives this uniform as judo, karate and taekwondo.
π§πKneel, then bowPerson kneeling, then person bowing. The two steps of a dogeza, in order. Both follow the skin tone you pick.
ππ¦Sweating apologyPerson bowing, then sweat droplets. CLDR calls the drops sweat and splashing. A bow made in a hurry.
ππTaking a bowClapping hands, then person bowing. The stage kind of bow, with the applause first. Both follow the skin tone you pick.
π΅πTea room bowTeacup without handle, then person bowing. Wikipedia records that each guest at a tea ceremony bows to the room itself before going in.
πππTriple bowPerson bowing 3 times. For when one apology will not cover it.