Strawberry Emoji Meaning: What 🍓 Says About Sweetness, Love and Summer

Of all the fruit emojis, the strawberry is one of the gentlest. It doesn't carry the heavy double meaning of some of its neighbours, but it isn't completely innocent either. Here's how it's used, what it's said to mean on Snapchat and why it's been a love symbol for centuries.

How 🍓 is drawn

Emojipedia describes a rich red strawberry dotted with seeds and crowned with green leaves. It also notes that Google once showed the fruit in orange, which must have made a few fruit salads look odd. Dictionary.com calls it a single strawberry with a vibrant green top.

Emojipedia says it was approved as part of Unicode 6.0 in 2010 and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015. Unicode's emoji-test file lists it as U+1F353 in the Food and Drink group, in the fruit section, between the cherries and the blueberries.

Sweet, cute and wholesome

The most common meaning is the simplest. Dictionary.com says the emoji is used in posts that are sweet and wholesome, and in sentiments that are cute and innocent. Emojipedia agrees that it conveys sweetness, cuteness or affection.

• 'Thanks for the care package 🍓' is a warm, cute thank you.
• 'Love you, sis 🍓' is the kind of message Dictionary.com says is common between sisters and girlfriends.
• 'Strawberry lip gloss haul 🍓' is literal, about a product.

Dictionary.com also notes it's used for anything strawberry-related: lip gloss, a pyjama print, even vaping flavours. So a product post with 🍓 is usually just describing the flavour or colour.

Romance and a hint of flirting

Emojipedia says 🍓 may carry a flirtatious connotation. Dictionary.com explains where that comes from: the strawberry became a symbol of Venus, the goddess of love, because of its faint heart shape and red colour, and so it came to stand for love and romance long before anyone dipped one in chocolate.

Paired with red roses and champagne, Dictionary.com says, the strawberry signals romance. It can also mean girlish fun, like a spa day, and indulgence. If someone sends 🍓 alongside a cherry or a peach, the flirting is louder, so read the whole message.

Pairing	Usual meaning
🍓 alone	Sweet, cute, affectionate
🍓🌹🍾	Romance, a date night or an anniversary
🍓💅	A pamper day or self-care
🍓🍫	Treats and indulgence
🍓 with other fruit in a flirty chat	Playful flirting

What the strawberry means on Snapchat

Dictionary.com reports that on Snapchat the strawberry is used as a relationship status meaning you 'can't find Mr. or Ms. Right'. That's a fan-made code rather than an official Snapchat feature, so not everyone will read it that way. If you're decoding emojis next to names on Snapchat, the best friends list is where the official friend emojis live.

Strawberries as an old symbol of perfection

This is my favourite detail. Dictionary.com says strawberries have historically symbolised purity and passion, and that medieval masons and builders marked stones and columns with strawberry designs to stand for perfection and righteousness. So the emoji's 'sweet and good' meaning has a long pedigree.

Summer and seasonal posts

Dictionary.com says the emoji is popular in spring and summer, especially around July 4th, when strawberry shortcake is on everyone's menu. In the UK, strawberries and cream are a Wimbledon tradition, so expect to see it then too. If you grow your own, my guide on when to plant strawberries will help you get the real thing.

Where the word strawberry comes from

Merriam-Webster traces strawberry to Old English strēawberige, from strēaw (straw) and berige (berry), and dates it to before the 12th century. It suggests the name may come from the look of the tiny seed-like parts on the surface.

Wiktionary offers a couple of other theories. One is that wild strawberries grow on straw-like runners. Another is the old practice, still common in parts of Europe, of gathering strawberries by stringing them on a straw or stalk. Nobody knows for sure, which makes it a nice bit of trivia.

Other meanings of strawberry

Wiktionary lists a dark pinkish red colour, strawberry red, and the hair colour strawberry blonde. It also records a rare sense for something that looks like a strawberry, such as a reddish bruise or birthmark. None of those have changed what the emoji means, but they explain why 'strawberry' turns up in beauty and fashion posts so often.

How to reply to a 🍓

If a friend or sister sends you a strawberry, send one back, or a pink heart. It's a sweet little exchange and nobody's overthinking it. If it comes from someone you're dating, it's affection with maybe a wink, so a heart or a smile fits. And if it lands under your product post, it usually just means they like the look of it.

The only time I'd stop and think is when 🍓 arrives in a chat that's already flirty, alongside other fruit. Then it's part of a code, and you can decide whether you want to play along.

Is 🍓 safe for brands?

Yes, it's one of the safest fruit emojis you can use. It works for food, beauty, summer campaigns and anything cute. The flirty edge is mild, and in a product post nobody will read much into it. My only tip: don't pile it up with other fruit emojis in a caption for a young audience, because certain combinations do read as suggestive.

Frequently asked questions

What does 🍓 mean from a girl?

Usually sweetness or affection. Dictionary.com says it's popular between girlfriends and sisters.

Is the strawberry emoji flirty?

It can be. Emojipedia says it may carry a flirtatious connotation, but it's mild.

What does 🍓 mean on Snapchat?

Dictionary.com says some people use it as a status meaning they 'can't find Mr. or Ms. Right'.

When was the strawberry emoji added?

Emojipedia says it was approved in Unicode 6.0 in 2010 and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015.

Why is the strawberry a symbol of love?

Dictionary.com says it became a symbol of Venus, goddess of love, because of its heart shape and red colour.

Where does the word strawberry come from?

Merriam-Webster traces it to Old English strēawberige, from straw plus berry.