The onion emoji π§ means cooking, crying and "layers". Online it is also a joke reply to sad posts, standing in for tears.
What does the onion emoji mean?
- Cooking and food. Emojipedia describes a round yellow onion that can be used to talk about cooking, eating or crying. EmojiTerra ties it to flavour, sautΓ©ing and the base of many dishes.
- Crying. Onions make you cry, so π§ can stand for tears. A TikTok that went viral explains the joke: instead of the crying face under a sad post, people comment an onion.
- Layers. Emojipedia adds that it is sometimes used in metaphors about layers, such as a complicated person or situation.
- A cheeky compliment. Two submissions on our onion page use it as a nod to someone's figure, or as playful flirting. It is a minor, jokey use, not a standard meaning.
Why do people comment π§ under sad posts?
It is a joke about onion-induced crying: they are saying the post made them cry, or they are teasingly pretending the sadness is from chopping onions. It is usually kind, or mock-dramatic.
When to use the onion emoji
- Recipes and cooking posts
- Joking that something made you cry
- Talking about layers or complexity
- Playful teasing among friends
It goes well with the garlic π§ in the kitchen.
Onion emoji facts
- Name: onion
- Added: Unicode 12.0 (2019); Apple added it in iOS 13.0
- Looks like: a round onion, typically light brown or purple. The exact design differs between platforms.
Know another meaning for π§ ? Add it on the onion emoji page.