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＼

fullwidth reverse solidus

Fullwidth Reverse Solidus

＼ is the fullwidth backslash: a compatibility form of ASCII <code>\</code> that aligns with East Asian text. In Japanese text emoticons called kaomoji, it can serve as a raised arm; this convention is documented by 2016. In code and file paths, the narrow ASCII character is usually the right one.

Text symbol
Search it as
backslash · fullwidth backslash · wide backslash · ASCII backslash · zenkaku backslash · reverse slash · 全角バックスラッシュ · 全角逆スラッシュ
Shows up in
Anything that takes text · its shape is whatever your font draws

What ＼ means

It is the fullwidth form of the ASCII backslash.

A 1937 Teletype maintenance manual, for a machine that sent typed messages, shows the recognizable backslash on a keyboard. In 1961, IBM’s Bob Bemer proposed it for ASCII as a reverse-division sign and as part of a logical operator in ALGOL, an early programming language. It later became familiar as an escape marker and path separator.

The wide form belongs to East Asian typography: it aligns with full-width text while preserving compatibility with older mixed-width encodings. “Fullwidth” names a width class; the actual space it takes depends on font and layout.

What happens when it is normalized?

Compatibility normalization turns it into ASCII \.

Unicode compatibility forms NFKC and NFKD fold ＼ to ASCII \; canonical forms NFC and NFD preserve the distinction. Use compatibility normalization when matching equivalent text, but keep the original form when exact character identity matters.

Neutral technical punctuation on its own; the surrounding message supplies its tone.

In code or paths, use ASCII `\` unless the syntax explicitly allows ＼.

What it means when someone sends it to you

2 readings
In a Japanese kaomoji
It can act as a raised arm; the face and other marks give the expression its mood.
Alongside East Asian text
A wide punctuation character aligned with the surrounding text.

Don't confuse it with

3
\
Reverse Solidus
For “fullwidth backslash vs backslash,” ASCII `\` is the narrow form; code and file paths generally expect it.
¥
Yen Sign
The yen sign; distinguish it from the reverse-slash shape of ＼ by the character itself, not just a font's rendering.
￥
Fullwidth Yen Sign
The full-width yen sign is a currency mark, not a reverse slash.

Combination ideas

2
Full-width backslashes lift both arms around a smiling face: a cheerful wave, documented by 2016.
The opposing diagonals sketch Mount Fuji in a kaomoji, documented by 2016.

Questions people ask

2

Why does Japanese backslash look like yen?

Some Japanese fonts render ASCII `\` as ¥, and legacy code pages can map the two to the same value; Microsoft security guidance describes this collision as of 2026. ＼ remains a separate full-width character.

Can I use fullwidth backslash in code?

Usually no. Source code and path formats that use backslash syntax expect ASCII `\`; ＼ remains text unless software explicitly converts it.

How to type ＼

Windows (Word)
Alt+XType FF3C, then Alt+X to get ＼.
Windows
Win+Rrun charmap for the full table, or use the emoji picker's Ω symbols tab (Win + .).
macOS
Control+Command+SpaceOpen the character viewer and search “fullwidth reverse solidus”.
Linux
Ctrl+Shift+UType ff3c, then Enter or Space.
HTML
&#xFF3C;
CSS
\FF3C
Japanese IME
How to type fullwidth backslash in Microsoft Japanese IME: the 2024 guide points to the IME Pad’s Character List for selecting a full-width symbol.
Codes and encoding1 code points
HTML decimal
&#65340;
HTML hex
&#xFF3C;
CSS content
content: "\FF3C";
Each escape is closed by the next backslash; a trailing space is needed before a literal hex digit.
URL encoded
%EF%BC%BC
1
On screen
1
Code points
1
JS .length
3
UTF-8 bytes

A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.

Families this belongs to

1

Chinese, Japanese & Korean121,370 symbols

ᄀᄁᄂᄃᄄᄅᄆᄇᄈᄉᄊᄋ