A Sony DualShock 2 controller for the PlayStation 2 game console, with the ◯ button visible on the right. In many games released for the PlayStation console line in Japan, the O mark is used as a means to confirm choices in user interfaces, whereas the X button is used instead in Western releases.[1]

An O mark, known as marujirushi (丸印) or maru (丸) in Japan and gongpyo (공표(空標), ball mark) in Korea, is the name of the symbol "◯", a circle or used to represent affirmation in East Asia, similar to its Western equivalent of the checkmark ("✓"). Its opposite is the X mark ("✗" or "×").

Extended system

It is common in Japan to employ other symbols to express non-binary grading beyond just "yes/no" or "right/wrong." A bullseye (nijūmaru 二重丸) "◎" is often used for "excellent," while a triangle (sankaku 三角) "△" means "so-so" or "partially applicable." This "◎-○-△-×" system is widely known in Japan, and can be used without explanation. Other ad-hoc usages exist, but they require legends explaining every symbol’s meaning.

The hanamaru (花丸) 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

Unicode provides various related symbols, including:

SymbolUnicode code point (hex)Name
○U+25CBWHITE CIRCLE
◎U+25CEBULLSEYE
●U+25CFBLACK CIRCLE
◯U+25EFLARGE CIRCLE
⭕︎U+2B55HEAVY LARGE CIRCLE
⭕️
🙆️U+1F646FACE 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

References

  1. ↑ "The Japanese Side of the PlayStation Button Confusion". Kotaku. 2012-02-10. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
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