01The gesture and its intended meaning
In Tibet, briefly sticking out the tongue is a traditional mark of respect and goodwill -- often accompanied, in its old form, by a doffed hat and a hand brought to the ear or the head. The missionary Évariste Huc, who observed it in 1846, describes it thus: "Dans le Thibet, quand on veut saluer quelqu'un, on se découvre la tête, on tire la langue, et on se gratte l'oreille droite ; ces trois opérations se font en même temps." ("In Thibet, when you desire to salute anyone, you take off your hat, put out your tongue, and scratch the right ear, all three operations being performed simultaneously" -- 1928 English edition.) The early witnesses agree on an important point, which the first version of this entry glossed over: the gesture is first and foremost deferential and asymmetrical -- the explorer William W. Rockhill notes, during his journey of 1891-1892, that "the lower classes, when saluting superiors, are in the habit of bending the knee very low... at the same time sticking out the tongue", and L. A. Waddell, physician of the British expedition of 1903-1904, sees in it an example of the "self-surrender" of the one saluting to the one saluted. Today the gesture survives mostly among elders, brief and discreet, as a sign of respect, agreement or welcome -- the standard verbal greeting being "tashi delek".
02Where it goes wrong: the Western misunderstanding
In the West, sticking out the tongue is a gesture of mockery or irreverence -- the photograph of Albert Einstein sticking his tongue out at the photographer Arthur Sasse on his 72nd birthday (March 14, 1951) became the world icon of playfulness precisely on this code. The Western visitor who receives the Tibetan salute may therefore believe he is being mocked; conversely, an elderly Tibetan who honors a guest with this gesture may be stared at or laughed at. The misunderstanding received planetary media coverage in April 2023: when a video of the Dalai Lama kissing a boy and telling him to "suck his tongue" (February 2023, Dharamsala) sparked an outcry and official apologies, most of the world's newsrooms had to explain that sticking out the tongue is, in Tibet, a traditional sign of respect -- while noting, as Tibetan voices themselves did, that the act at issue did not belong to this greeting (it rather evokes "che le sa", a distinct grandparental teasing).
03Genesis: an etiological legend, not a canonical text
The most widespread explanation is an etiological legend: showing one's tongue would prove that one is not the reincarnation of King Langdarma, persecutor of Buddhism in the 9th century, whom tradition endows with a black tongue -- and with horns, which explains the full gesture reported by the Tibetan historian Shakabpa (cited by the Tibetologist Sam van Schaik): scratching one's head (no horns) and sticking out one's tongue (not black) before persons of high rank. The real history is more uncertain: did the king (proper name U Dum Tsen, reign circa 841-842, chronology debated) really persecute Buddhism? Some Tibetologists doubt it. One variant of the belief -- the tongue blackened by the recitation of black mantras -- is anchored, for its part, in a dated and inverted episode: during the Dzungar occupation (1717-1720), visitors to officials were forced to stick out their tongues, the inspection serving to identify the Nyingmapa and Bönpo to be persecuted; the traveler Theos Bernard still attests the belief in 1939. The first version of this entry claimed the tradition was "documented in the Kanjur and the Tengyur, 7th-10th centuries": that is a fabrication -- these canons were compiled in the 14th century (Butön, 1290-1364) and no canonical text documents this greeting. The oldest attestation confirmed in the texts remains Huc's account (observation 1846, publication 1850).
04Attestations and documented incidents
The primary sources span a century: Huc in Lhasa in 1846 ("Les Thibétains nous tiraient la langue, en se grattant l'oreille, et les Chinois nous faisaient les courbettes les plus sentimentales" -- "The Tibetans stuck out their tongues at us, scratching their ears, while the Chinese made us the most sentimental bows"; a Tibetan negotiator even concluded his ultimatum by "sticking out his tongue and scratching his ear"); Rockhill in 1891-1892 (the salute of inferiors to superiors); Sarat Chandra Das in 1879-1882 ("numerous salams and lollings of the tongue after the Tibetan fashion"); Waddell during the expedition of 1903-1904 (the village headman who salutes "tongue out" while offering the khatag scarf -- but also wounded Tibetans "prostrating themselves with tongues out", a reminder that the gesture is a code of submission as much as of politeness). In April 2023, the Dalai Lama incident (event of February 28, 2023, apologies on April 10) turned this salute into a subject of worldwide explanation: Radio Free Asia recalled that "in Tibetan culture sticking out one's tongue is sometimes used as a traditional greeting", a sign of respect or agreement.
05Practical recommendations
If an elderly Tibetan briefly sticks out his tongue at you, receive the gesture as the homage it is: smile, incline your head slightly, reply "tashi delek". Do not laugh and do not photograph the person as a curiosity. Do not necessarily try to return the gesture -- coming from a foreigner, it can seem parodic; the verbal greeting accompanied by a slight bow is enough. And keep the historical nuance in mind: this gesture is a code of deference born in a hierarchical world, not a symmetrical "hello" -- receiving it is an honor, demanding it would make no sense.
Geography of misunderstanding
Neutral
- china-tibetan-autonomous-region
Not documented
- nepal
- bhutan
- india-sikkim
- india-ladakh
Historical origins
Explication répandue = légende étiologique : montrer que l'on n'est pas la réincarnation du roi Langdarma (IXe s.), doté par la tradition d'une langue noire et de cornes — d'où le geste complet tête grattée + langue tirée (Shakabpa, cité par van Schaik) ; variante « mantras noirs » ancrée sur l'inspection des langues sous l'occupation dzoungare (1717-1720). Aucune attestation canonique (le « Kanjur/Tengyur VIIe-Xe s. » de la première version était une fabrication — canons compilés au XIVe s. (Butön)) ; plus ancienne attestation au texte : Huc, observation 1846, publication 1850.
Documented incidents
- 1846 — Lors de leur séjour à Lhassa en 1846, Huc et Gabet reçoivent et décrivent le salut tibétain complet — « on se découvre la tête, on tire la langue, et on se gratte l'oreille droite ; ces trois opérations se font en même temps » ; un négociateur tibétain conclut même son ultimatum en tirant la langue. Publiée en 1850, c'est la plus ancienne attestation du geste confirmée au texte. (Huc, Souvenirs d'un voyage dans la Tartarie, le Thibet et la Chine (1850) ; trad. anglaise Travels in Tartary, Thibet and China, vol. II (éd. Broadway Travellers, 1928), texte intégral sur archive.org. Original français : Wikisource, Souvenirs d'un voyage..., vol. 2.)
- 2023 — Une vidéo d'un événement du 28 février 2023 (le Dalaï-lama embrassant un garçon et lui disant de « sucer sa langue ») devient virale en avril et provoque des excuses officielles le 10 avril. Les rédactions mondiales expliquent alors la coutume tibétaine de la langue tirée comme signe de respect — tout en relevant, avec les voix tibétaines, que l'acte reproché ne relevait pas de ce salut (taquinerie grand-parentale « che le sa » distincte). (Radio Free Asia, « Dalai Lama apologizes... », 10 avril 2023 (« In Tibetan culture sticking out one's tongue is sometimes used as a traditional greeting ») ; Vice (Pallavi Pundir), 14 avril 2023 (voix tibétaines, « che le sa »).)
- 1951 — Contraste occidental : le jour de ses 72 ans, à la sortie d'un événement en son honneur,, Einstein tire la langue au photographe Arthur Sasse qui lui demandait de sourire — le cliché devient l'icône mondiale de la langue tirée comme espièglerie et irrévérence, code exactement inverse du salut tibétain. Einstein en commanda des tirages pour ses amis. (Rare Historical Photos, « Albert Einstein sticking out his tongue, 1951 » (14 mars 1951, 72e anniversaire ; agence du photographe non assertée, notices divergentes).)
Practical recommendations
To do
- Recevoir le geste avec un sourire et une légère inclinaison de tête — c'est une marque de respect.
- Répondre par le salut verbal « tashi delek », valeur sûre avec tous les interlocuteurs tibétains.
- Se souvenir que le geste vient surtout des aînés et des contextes traditionnels.
Avoid
- Ne pas rire ni interpréter le geste comme une moquerie.
- Ne pas photographier la personne comme une curiosité exotique.
- Ne pas forcer l'imitation du geste : venant d'un étranger, il peut sembler parodique — le salut verbal suffit.
Neutral alternatives
- « Tashi delek » — le salut verbal tibétain standard, recommandé aux visiteurs.
- Légère inclinaison de la tête, mains jointes ou offrande d'une écharpe khatag en contexte cérémoniel.
- Sourire et contact visuel bienveillant en contexte urbain moderne.