Where the bear face comes from
The ears in ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ are actually letters from the International Phonetic Alphabet, normally used to describe sounds made in the throat. Their curved shapes happen to look just like round bear ears. The snout ᴥ is another rare letter that resembles a nose and mouth. Older Japanese bear faces use (ｴ) instead, as in (´(ｴ)｀), for a slightly different, softer look.
Sweet ways to share a bear
Bears are natural huggers, so ʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっ is a favourite way to send comfort or a warm hello. A fighting bear like ʕง•ᴥ•ʔง cheers someone on before an exam, while ʕ•ᴥ•ʔﾉ♡ is a quick, sweet goodbye. Because they are so gentle, bear kaomoji suit almost any audience, from close friends to family group chats.