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17 July | Extensive research on emojis was published on World Emoji Day. Emojis have become an indispensable part of digital communication, sometimes taking on the meanings that words are not enough for. While it is known that there are a total of 3,664 emojis on the Internet, in a recent study covering Turkey, it was found that some emojis have negative meanings in different parts of the world. While the favorite emojis of the citizens of Turkey were “the laughing emoji” and the “peeping face emoji”, the most confusing emoji was the “winged money emoji”.

TURKEY - Emojis have become one of the indispensable elements of digital communication with their detailed designs and increasing alternatives for facial expressions, objects, places, weather, animals and plants. 17 July | On World Emoji Day, a study was published on emojis, which, according to academic studies, are used every day by 6 billion and have reached a universal language form. The research conducted by Preply, an online foreign language learning platform, was shared with information showing that emojis can have different meanings than their common meanings in different cultures and cause negative situations.

The “thumbs up” emoji can be perceived as an insult

In the compiled data, it was stated that the "thumb in the air" emoji, which is used in Turkish with meanings such as "accept", "very good", "I approve", "I like it", is seen as a very rude hand gesture in Asia. In the research conducted by Preply with the participation of a thousand people and including the investigations on the use of emoji in Turkey, it was seen that four out of 5 people (83%) did not know the negative meaning of this emoji in different countries. Preply pointed out that this emoji, whose common meaning is approval, like, and acceptance, should be used carefully when chatting with people from countries such as Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Nigeria.

Preply Europe Regional Manager Mustafa Ali Sivisoğlu, who shared his evaluations on the subject, said, “Emojis have become a universal language, but in some cultures they can have different and negative meanings. In the digital age, everyone can communicate online with different users from every country. As Preply, we have signed this work to prevent possible negativities.”

Chinese citizens can be put on the "smiling face" emoji

Data compiled from open sources also showed that the smiley face emoji, which represents a calm, serene, wise smile in Turkish, may have a different meaning in China. Stating that the smiley face emoji in China can have a derogatory meaning for the sender, Mustafa Ali Sivisoğlu said, "Even the smiley face emoji, which we know is one of the most used emojis in Turkey, another variation of the 'the laughing emoji', which is considered to be one of the oldest emojis in the internet history. It can have different meanings in different cultures. These meanings can also be shaped periodically. For example, France's famous pastry croissant is understood as opposing Brexit within the European Union. The roots of this understanding lie in the distribution of 600 croissants at Kings Cross Station in Paris, before the Brexit referendum, to persuade the citizens who will vote at the border to stay in the European Union for the sake of croissants.”

“It is necessary not to be afraid of misunderstandings while learning a language”

Reminding that the differentiation of meanings in emojis has become even more comprehensive when considering 6,500 languages in the world, Preply Europe Regional Manager Mustafa Ali Sivisoğlu concluded his evaluations with the following statements: “One of the biggest concerns experienced by language learners is to be misunderstood, not understood, and misinterpreted. This seems quite understandable, given that gestures, words, expressions, even emojis have meanings that differ from culture to culture. However, those who are trying to learn a language should not hesitate to practice and communicate with native speakers because of these fears. As Preply, which brings together those who want to learn languages in more than 58 countries with the right instructors online, we believe that diversity enriches and interaction is an essential part of learning. We welcome those who want to learn a new language and practice that language with qualified instructors, successful language teachers and native speakers at Preply.