絵文字(えもじ)

えもじ
noun
emoji; pictograph
technology
1. emoji, pictographic character
Small pictorial symbols used in digital communication to express emotions, objects, or ideas. Originated in Japanese mobile phone culture in the late 1990s and became a worldwide standard.
絵文字(えもじ)を使(つか)ってメッセージを送(おく)る。
Send a message using emoji.
このアプリには新(あたら)しい絵文字(えもじ)が追加(ついか)された。
New emoji were added to this app.
彼女(かのじょ)はメールに絵文字(えもじ)をたくさん入(い)れるので読(よ)みにくい。
She puts so many emoji in her emails that they're hard to read.

Etymology

絵(え) (picture) + 文字(もじ) (character). The word was coined in Japan for pictographic characters used on mobile phones in the late 1990s. It has since been borrowed into English and many other languages as "emoji."

Usage

In Japanese, 絵文字(えもじ) can refer both to modern digital emoji and to older pictographic writing systems. In everyday use, it almost always means the digital kind. The related term 顔文字(かおもじ) refers to text-based emoticons like (^_^), which are distinct from 絵文字(えもじ).

Common collocations

Related Words

Compare: 顔文字(かおもじ) (text-based emoticons)
general
Added 2026.2.27 14:45 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
13500/13859_emoji