Kaomoji List
Kaomoji (顔文字) are Japanese-style text faces built from punctuation and Unicode characters. Unlike Western emoticons like :-) which read sideways, kaomojis read straight on, which makes them faster to recognise. Copy popular kaomoji for chat replies, social bios, captions, usernames, comments, and gaming nicknames. Each style below has its own deep-dive page with sub-categories, copy combos, and FAQ.
Popular Kaomoji
Cute Kaomoji
Happy Kaomoji
Sad Kaomoji
Crying Kaomoji
Cat Kaomoji
Love Kaomoji
Angry Kaomoji
Shrug Kaomoji
What Is a Kaomoji?
Kaomoji originated in Japanese internet culture in the late 1980s and
spread worldwide through anime, gaming, and Discord communities. They use
Japanese punctuation, math symbols, and modern Unicode characters to form
expressive faces — happy (＾▽＾), sad (´;ω;`),
cute (˶ˆᗜˆ˵), angry (╯°□°)╯, shrug
¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Because they're pure text, kaomojis render
identically on every platform and font, and they fit into places that
strip emoji — chat apps, email subjects, code comments, and older form
fields.
Kaomoji FAQ
What is a kaomoji?
Kaomoji are Japanese-style text faces read horizontally (e.g.
(＾▽＾)) instead of sideways like Western emoticons
(e.g. :-)). They use punctuation and Unicode characters
to build expressive faces and work as plain text on every platform.
How do I copy kaomoji on my phone?
Tap any kaomoji on this page or on a deep-dive page (e.g. cute kaomoji) — you'll see "Copied!" feedback. Then paste into chat, bio, or username. On phones, long-pressing kaomoji text sometimes selects only part of the sequence; using the copy button on EmojiTree is more reliable.
Are kaomojis the same as emojis?
No. Emojis are colored pictographs from a fixed Unicode table (❤️, 😀, 🌸). Kaomojis are text-only sequences of punctuation and regular characters; they render in whatever font your platform uses and don't take up emoji-specific space.
Do kaomojis work in Discord and Instagram?
Yes. Both platforms accept Unicode, so standard kaomoji combinations
— (˶ˆᗜˆ˵), ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ, (=^･ω･^=) —
all work as usernames, bios, channel names, and chat content. Very
long kaomojis (~30 characters) may not fit in some username fields.