Overview
Interpretation
Overall mood and nuance
The kaomoji (*/_＼) shows a strong feeling of shyness and quiet embarrassment, with a slightly more reserved tone than some louder, more dramatic shy faces. The combination of the */ on the left, the _ in the middle and the ＼) on the right looks like someone lifting their hands to hide part of their face while keeping their mouth pressed into a small, flat line. It feels like they are thinking: “This is so embarrassing… but I’m secretly kind of happy too.”
Where kaomojis like (*/ω＼) can feel very squealy and high-energy, (*/_＼) is a little more restrained. The underscore _ in the center works like a straight mouth that is trying to stay composed, even though the person is obviously flustered inside. The mood is still cute and shy, but instead of loud screaming, it’s closer to a muffled “ahhh I can’t face this right now”.
Visual structure
- The outer parentheses ( ) draw the outline of the head and frame the expression as a whole face.
- On the left, the combination */ can be interpreted as an arm or hand raised toward the face. The asterisk suggests sudden movement or emotional spark, while the slash looks like a forearm covering one side of the cheeks.
- In the middle, the _ acts like a small mouth drawn as a flat line. This straight mouth often signals someone who is tense, trying to hold in their feelings, or frozen by awkwardness. It makes the expression feel more subdued and slightly stiff compared to round or smiling mouths.
- On the right, ＼) balances the left side. The slanted stroke feels like the other arm lifting up to hide the rest of the face, while the closing parenthesis completes the head, giving the sense that the whole face is being shielded.
Put together, (*/_＼) looks like a character turning a bit away, hiding behind their hands, lips pressed into a small line, cheeks surely burning even though you cannot see them.
Typical usage scenes
You can use (*/_＼) in many shy or awkward emotional moments, especially when the mood is a mix of embarrassment and quiet happiness:
- When friends bring up your crush, ship you with someone or accidentally reveal something personal in a joking way.
- After you receive a sincere compliment that feels too direct and you don’t know how to respond without blushing.
- When you read or watch a romantic scene that is a bit cringe yet also very sweet, and you want to show that you’re hiding your face.
- After sending a message that feels more honest, emotional or flirty than your usual tone, and you are now shy about it.
- In fandom chats, when your favorite character or idol does something that hits your heart hard, but you want to react in a slightly calmer, more reserved way compared to very explosive kaomojis.
In short, (*/_＼) is ideal when you feel shy, exposed and a little overwhelmed, but your reaction is more soft and restrained than full-on screaming embarrassment.
Usage guide
Tips
How to use (*/_＼) naturally
Use (*/_＼) when you want to show that you feel shy, awkward or quietly flustered, but not in an over-the-top way. It’s great for moments when you are embarrassed by teasing, compliments or romantic scenes, yet you are still trying to act calm. Think of it as a softer, more reserved version of dramatic hide-face kaomojis.
When to use
- Soft embarrassment about a crush
Friends mention your crush, show old screenshots, or make a playful ship joke. Reply with a half-denial and (*/_＼) to show you’re shy but not truly upset. - Receiving sincere compliments
When someone praises your personality, effort or kindness in a way that feels very honest, this kaomoji helps express "I don’t know how to respond, I’m blushing". - Reacting to mildly cringe but sweet scenes
Use it when reacting to romantic anime or drama scenes that are cute but make you want to hide under a pillow. - After sending an unusually honest or flirty message
If you normally don’t speak so openly, and then you do, (*/_＼) captures the “why did I send that, I’m shy now” feeling. - Fandom and stan chats
When your oshi does something that hits your heart but you want to keep your reaction a little calm, this kaomoji is a good middle ground.
Example snippets
- "Don’t bring that story up again, I’m still embarrassed (*/_＼)"
- "Your message was so sweet I literally had to hide my face (*/_＼)"
- "I reread what I sent last night and now I’m shy (*/_＼)"
Tips and notes
- Tone: (*/_＼) feels more low-key than some other shy kaomojis, so it works well when you want to show embarrassment without sounding too chaotic.
- Context: Best for casual conversations, group chats and fandom spaces. In very formal work discussions or serious topics, it may look out of place.
- Balance: Because the expression is specific, don’t attach it to every message. Save it for those moments when you genuinely feel exposed or quietly flustered so it keeps its impact.
- Sensitivity: If the other person is upset or hurt, focus on clear, kind words first; kaomojis like (*/_＼) are better used once the emotional situation is stable and everyone is comfortable joking again.
Usage examples
Real conversation samples that feature this kaomoji.
Example 1
Example 2