For someone new to online chat, or new to using WeChat, the whole range of emoticons that will get thrown at you while using chat, or even in the moments, can.

It is very difficult to talk to Chinese people without using emojis. Whenever a Chinese friend Facebook messages me, I feel compelled to reply with WeChat because there are messages and nuances that can only be expressed with emojis that only exist on WeChat.

The WeChat emoji keyboard. Besides the hundred-or-so official emojis that WeChat offers, it also allows users to exchange and collect stickers and gifs. The difference between emojis on Chinese and Western apps can shed light on some interesting cultural disparities. I have noticed that Chinese messaging apps tend to have a lot more emojis for expressing deference and embarrassment (with elements like blushing)—traditional Chinese culture prizes humility and indirectness. You can never ask someone a favor without profusely expressing how bad you feel; you can never ask for someone’s time without showing that you think you are hardly worthy of their time. Below are some emojis that I use most frequently while communicating on WeChat, but do not really have equivalents on Western messengers like Facebook Messenger and iMessage.

Official Name: Shy Actual Meaning: • I’m better than you, but I want you to know that I’m not just better but also humble • I have a favor to ask of you but I don’t want to appear blunt Function: • Humble brag • Downplay one’s achievements • Ask for a favor Example: 2. Official name: Blush Actual meaning: • I have a favor to ask of you but I don’t want to come across as an asshole • Damn it. Are you sure you can’t do anything more about it? • I’d love to help you but I really can’t Function: • There’s a Chinese phrase called “Mai Meng”, which literally translates into “selling cuteness” (in order to achieve your goal). This is the quintessential Mai Meng emoji; great for asking favors from someone you are familiar with • Express helplessness/deep unhappiness/disappointment Example: 3. Published by Zara Zhang Zara is an investment analyst at GGV Capital (Menlo Park office), a venture capital firm that invests in companies in the US and China with $3.8 billion AUM. Previously, she has interned as a reporter covering China’s tech industry for The Information.

Her writings have been published on The Harvard Crimson, Harvard Magazine, Foreign Policy, Huffington Post, and China Personified. She has also worked as a marketing intern at ZhenFund. Zara graduated from Harvard University Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in psychology. At Harvard, she wrote and edited for The Harvard Crimson, led the organization of Harvard China Forum (a 1,000-people conference featuring leaders from China and the US), and ran a weekly newsletter about food around the university. Zara grew up in Changchun, a city in northeast China, and received her secondary education in Singapore. A language enthusiast, she is trained in Chinese-English interpretation and translation, speaks French and Japanese, and can sing in Cantonese. Zara curates a weekly email newsletter on tech trends in China at GGV Capital.

Subscribe at 996.ggvc.com. She can be reached at zara. Film Death Bell 2 Subtitle Indonesia. r.zhang@gmail.com.