Because Symbol (∵)
The because symbol ∵ is Unicode U+2235, three dots with the single dot below, read “because”. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.
- Unicode
U+2235- HTML
∵- Word
2235 Alt+X
How to type the because symbol (∵)
The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ∵ yourself, use the method for your device below.
Windows
- In Word or Outlook, type 2235 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
- Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Because, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.
Mac
- Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for because and double-click it.
- With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 2235.
Linux & ChromeOS
- Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2235, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.
iPhone & iPad
- Copy ∵ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;beca. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.
Android
- Copy ∵ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.
Microsoft Word
- Type 2235, then press Alt + X.
- Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 2235 in “Character code” and click Insert.
Google Docs
- Insert → Special characters, then search for “because” or draw it in the box.
Excel & Google Sheets
- Enter
=UNICHAR(8757)in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.
HTML
- Write
∵or∵in your HTML.
What does ∵ mean?
∵ means “because” or “since” and introduces the reason for a step: ∵ the angles of a triangle sum to 180°, the third angle is 60°. It is the mirror of ∴ (“therefore”) and is far more common in East Asian school mathematics than in Western textbooks, which tend to write the word. In notes, pairing the two gives compact arguments: ∵ a = b and b = c, ∴ a = c.
Common uses
- Geometry proofs: ∵ AB = AC, the triangle is isosceles
- Compact study notes
Because Symbol codes for HTML, CSS and programming
Every code below produces ∵. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.
| Unicode code point | U+2235 | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML entity (named) | ∵ | |
| HTML decimal | ∵ | |
| HTML hex | ∵ | |
| CSS content | content: "\2235"; | |
| JavaScript | "\u2235" | |
| Python | "\u2235" | |
| Python (by name) | "\N{BECAUSE}" | |
| Java / C# | "\u2235" | |
| LaTeX | \because | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 88 B5 | |
| UTF-16 | 2235 | |
| URL encoded | %E2%88%B5 |
∵ vs look-alike characters
These characters look similar to ∵ but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.
| Char | Name | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
ThereforeU+2234 | Therefore, with the single dot on top. |
Symbols similar to ∵
Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full math symbols collection.
- Therefore Details
- Minus Details
- Multiplication Details
- Division Details
- Plus-Minus Details
- Not Equal to Details
- Almost Equal to Details
- Identical to Details
- Less-Than Or Equal to Details
- Greater-Than Or Equal to Details
- Proportional to Details
- Infinity Details
- Per Mille Details
- Square Root Details
- Cube Root Details
∵ character properties
- Official Unicode name
- BECAUSE
- Also known as
- because sign, since symbol
- Code point
- U+2235
- Unicode block
- Mathematical Operators (U+2200–U+22FF)
- General category
- Math symbol (Sm)
- Added in
- Unicode 1.1 (1993)
- Plane
- Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
- Emoji
- No, it is a text symbol
Frequently asked questions
How do I remember which symbol means because?
In ∵ the single dot sits at the bottom, like a reason that everything rests on. ∴ puts the single dot on top, like the conclusion at the end.
Is there an alt code for the because symbol?
No. ∵ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 2235 then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.
How do I type the because symbol on a Mac?
There is no single Option shortcut for ∵ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “because” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.
What is the HTML code for the because symbol?
Use the named entity ∵ or the numeric reference ∵ (hex ∵). All three display ∵ in every browser.
What is the Unicode for the because symbol?
∵ is U+2235, officially named BECAUSE, in the Mathematical Operators block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).