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ang pow. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
ang pow, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
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English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Hokkien 紅包／红包 (âng-pau, literally “red packet”). Doublet of hong bao.
Pronunciation
Noun
ang pow (plural ang pows)
- (Malaysia, Singapore) Synonym of red envelope (“hongbao”)
1996, Su Kim Lee, Malaysian flavours: insights into things Malaysian, page 88:However, if you come across kids of the really mercenary kind, then you wish you could snatch back the ang pow from their greedy hands. A kid is supposed to receive an ang pow, thank the giver, then put away his ang pow immediately.
2010, Ooi Keat Gin, The A to Z of Malaysia, →ISBN, page 19:A traditional and popular gift, ang pow is given at a house warming, during the tea ceremony to a bridal couple, at a farewell, on a birthday, in return for a favor or a donation, and on other occasions. A symbolic ang pow is given to a prospective client by a coffin maker upon the former exiting his premises, regardless of any transaction.
2014, Bryan Paul Lai, The Joy of Life: The Land Below The Wind, →ISBN, page 87:After the scrumptious dinner, which I had never before eaten so much, came to an end, it was customary for the parents to hand out red packages or ang pow to the children and unmarried adults.
2016, Wong Chai Kee, Even When She Forgot My Name: Love, Life and My Mother’s Alzheimer’s, →ISBN:I wrote the amount on each ang pow. When Chinese New Year came, just after the Alzheimer's diagnosis, I thought all Ma could do was hand out the ang pows.