ang pow

English

Alternative forms

• angpau, ang pao, angpao, ang pau

Etymology

From Hokkien 紅包／红包 (âng-pau, literally “red packet”). Doublet of hong bao.

Pronunciation

• (Singapore) IPA^(key): /ɑŋ paʊ/, [ɑŋ˨ paʊ˦]
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɑŋ (ˈ)paʊ/
• Rhymes: -aʊ

Noun

ang pow (plural ang pows)

1. (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.