O mark
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/DualShock_2.jpg/220px-DualShock_2.jpg)
O mark is the name of the circle symbol "◯". It is often used in East Asia to express affirmation. Its use is similar to that of the checkmark ("✓") in the Western world. Its opposite is the X mark ("✗" or "×").
The symbol has a variety of names and meanings in various cultures. In Japanese it is called marujirushi (丸印) or maru (丸) and expresses affirmation. In Korean it is called gongpyo (공표; 空標; lit. ball mark) and expresses affirmation.
Regional uses
[edit]Japan
[edit]Japan interprets the symbol as an affirmation.
It also employs a number of related symbols (◎ ○ △ ×) in a system that expresses degrees of affirmation. A bullseye "◎" (nijūmaru; 二重丸) is often used for "excellent", the circle is a plain affirmation, the triangle "△" (sankaku; 三角) means "so-so" or "partially applicable", and the "×" expresses disagreement. This system is widely known in Japan, and thus often used without explanation. Sometimes ad-hoc adjustments are made to the system, but these are usually explained.
The hanamaru (花丸, 'flower O mark') is a variant of the O mark. It is typically drawn as a spiral surrounded by rounded flower petals, suggesting a flower. It is frequently used in praising or complimenting children, and the motif often appears in children's characters and logos. The hanamaru is frequently written on tests if a student has achieved full marks or an otherwise outstanding result. It is sometimes used in place of an O mark in grading written response problems if a student's answer is especially good. Some teachers will add more rotations to the spiral the better the answer is.
Unicode
[edit]Unicode provides various related symbols, including:
Symbol | Unicode code point (hex) | Name |
---|---|---|
○ | U+25CB | WHITE CIRCLE |
◎ | U+25CE | BULLSEYE |
● | U+25CF | BLACK CIRCLE |
◯ | U+25EF | LARGE CIRCLE |
⭕︎ | U+2B55 | HEAVY LARGE CIRCLE |
⭕️ | ||
🙆️ | U+1F646 | FACE WITH OK GESTURE |
U+2B55 ⭕ HEAVY LARGE CIRCLE has both text and emoji presentations, as shown in the table. It defaults to emoji presentation.
The emoji U+1F4AE 💮 WHITE FLOWER looks similar to hanamaru, although it represents a rubber stamp commonly used to grade students' written answers and is not usually recognized as hanamaru.
See also
[edit]- ○× quiz – true/false quizzes in Japan that use the O mark and its opposite
- Check mark
- Circle
- Geometric Shapes (Unicode block) – Block of Unicode symbols
- PlayStation controller – Game controller for the PlayStation
- Tic-tac-toe
References
[edit]- ^ "The Japanese Side of the PlayStation Button Confusion". Kotaku. 2012-02-10. Retrieved 2022-06-26.