へのへのもへ

Japanese

Etymology

From the hiragana characters used to draw it.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) へ​のへのもへ [héꜜnòhènòmòhè] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [he̞no̞he̞no̞mo̞he̞]

Noun

へのへのもへ • (henohenomohe) 

1. a face drawn using the hiragana characters he (へ), no (の), he (へ), no (の), mo (も), and he (へ)
   • 2008, 久保田裕道, 「日本の神さま」おもしろ小事典: 氏神、道祖神から狛犬、ナマハゲまで, PHP研究所, →ISBN, page 28:

     も、顔の部分だけ皮を削って、「へのへのもへ」のような簡単な顔を描くだけなのですが……。

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

The first two he are the eyebrows, the two no are the eyes, the mo is a nose, and the last he is the mouth.

Related terms

• へのへのもへじ (henohenomoheji)