Japanese “passing grade” button emoji 🈴
The 🈴 emoji, formally called the Japanese “passing grade” button, signals success or meeting a standard. Here’s how to use it in your messages.
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What the passing grade emoji means
The passing grade emoji 🈴 shows the Japanese character 合 (read as gō) in white on a blue square. In Japan, this character is stamped on exam papers, applications and documents to indicate a pass, acceptance or qualification.
When someone sends 🈴 in a message, they are usually marking something as successful, approved or up to standard. It can replace words like “pass”, “OK”, “accepted” or “you made it”.
This emoji belongs to a set of squared symbols that mimic Japanese signage and buttons. Unlike a simple check mark, it carries a specifically academic or formal tone of passing a threshold.
How people use the passing grade emoji
People use the 🈴 button in a variety of situations where a test or standard is involved. It appears after exam grades, driving tests, job application outcomes, or even video game level completions.
It also works as a stamp of approval on social media. A post about a successful project or a milestone might be captioned with 🈴 to sum up the feeling of having met the requirement.
- Marking an exam, quiz or assessment as passed
- Confirming that a request, submission or proposal was accepted
- Celebrating a small personal win, like finishing a difficult task
- Adding a note of approval to a comment or reply
Compare Japanese “passing grade” button with similar emoji
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese “passing grade” buttonU+1F234 | White Japanese character 合 on blue square, used for pass or approval | |
| COOL buttonU+1F192 | White letters COOL on blue square, used for cool or trendy | |
| FREE buttonU+1F193 | White letters FREE on blue square, used for free of charge | |
| informationU+2139 U+FE0F | White letter i on blue square, used for information |
Passing grade emoji vs other Japanese button symbols
The 🈴 button is part of a larger family of Japanese-style emojis that use a coloured square with white text. It can be confused with several others in the same group.
The blood type A button emoji shows an “A” on a red square, while the Japanese “here” button emoji uses a different character to mean “here” or “available”. The discount button emoji and the “not free of charge” button have completely different meanings related to pricing.
Even inside the same blue-square style, there are buttons like 🆒 (cool) and 🆓 (free). The character inside is what changes the meaning, so always check the symbol carefully.
- 🈴 – passing grade, approval
- 🆒 – cool, trendy, impressive
- 🆓 – free of charge
- ℹ️ – information, help
How to type, copy and view the passing grade emoji
On most smartphones, open the emoji keyboard and search for “pass”, “Japanese” or “grade”. You can also browse the symbols or alphanumeric section.
On macOS, press Control + Command + Space and type “passing”.
Alternatively, copy the character directly from the reference table on this page and paste it anywhere.
Although the exact shade of blue and font weight can differ between platforms, the overall design is always a square with the character 合. This keeps the emoji instantly recognisable.
Questions people ask
What does the 🈴 emoji mean?
It means passing grade, success, or approval, derived from the Japanese character 合 (gō).
How do I type the 🈴 emoji on my phone?
Open the emoji keyboard and search for “pass” or “Japanese”, or copy it from this page.
Is the 🈴 emoji the same as the ✅ check mark?
No, the check mark is a different symbol. The 🈴 conveys passing specifically, often in an academic or test context.
Can I use the 🈴 emoji on social media?
Yes, it is a standard emoji supported on most devices and platforms.
Where does the 🈴 character come from?
It comes from the Japanese kanji 合 (gō), which means “to fit” or “to match” and is used to mark a pass.
About this guide
Written and maintained by the Emoji Directory editorial team, without ads or sponsorship. Meanings describe how the emoji is commonly used in public posts and messages, not an official definition. Names, code points, versions, keywords and translations come from the Unicode Emoji 18.0 and CLDR data; shortcodes from the gemoji project. Last reviewed . Spotted a mistake or a new usage? Tell us, or read how the directory is made.
