Pose & style reference · Expressions
Tongue out face (tehepero)
Also called: tehepero, akanbe, bleh face, てへぺろ
In short
A tongue out face shows the tip of the tongue between the lips, usually with a wink or a grin. Depending on the details it means a cute apology for a small mistake (tehepero in Japanese), a cheeky tease (akanbe) or simple goofing around.
Reference photos
Photos are shown from mfan8.com with credit to the photographers and models. Tap a photo to open the full set.
Three meanings of a tongue-out face
The same tongue can say different things. Tehepero combines the Japanese sounds tehe (an embarrassed giggle) and pero (a lick): a character makes a small blunder, closes one eye, sticks out the tongue tip and often taps their head with a loose fist. It is an apology that asks to be forgiven for being cute.
Akanbe is older and ruder: pulling down one lower eyelid with a finger while sticking out the tongue, the schoolyard way to say "so there". The plain bleh face, with tongue out and eyes squeezed, is just silliness and works for any age or style.
Variations
| Version | Key details | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Tehepero | Tongue tip to one side, wink, fist lightly on head | Cute oops after a mistake |
| Akanbe | Finger pulls lower eyelid down, tongue out | Teasing, defiant |
| Bleh | Tongue fully out, eyes shut tight | Disgust or goofing around |
| Peace and tongue | Tongue tip, wink, V sign by the face | Selfies, idol photos |
| Concentration tongue | Tip poking from the mouth corner, eyes focused | Working hard on something |
How to draw the tongue
For a cute look show only the tip: a small rounded shape with a centre line, sitting on the lower lip off to one side. Draw the mouth corner around it as a gentle curve so the tongue looks held, not stuck on.
Shade the underside a little darker than the top, and keep the colour a warm pink, slightly deeper than the lips. A common mistake is drawing the tongue too long or too wide, which turns cute into comic gross-out. For akanbe, the pulled eyelid shows a sliver of red lower lid and the eye looks sideways.
Holding a tongue out pose for photos
Hold the tongue tip still and relaxed rather than pushing it out hard. Pair it with a wink on the side opposite the tongue for balance, and tilt the head a little toward the raised hand if doing the fist-tap.
Shoot at eye level or slightly above with a normal portrait lens; very wide lenses close to the face exaggerate the tongue. Take several frames, since the expression collapses into a laugh quickly.
FAQ
What does tehepero mean?
It is a Japanese expression for the cute embarrassed face made after a small mistake: wink, tongue tip out and a light knock on the head.
What is akanbe?
A teasing Japanese gesture where you pull down your lower eyelid with one finger and stick out your tongue, similar to blowing a raspberry.
Is sticking your tongue out rude?
As a tease it can be, but in photos and character art the tongue tip with a wink is read as playful and friendly.