Meaning of ang moh | Babel Free

Definitions

A white person, especially one perceived as a foreigner rather than a local inhabitant.

Malaysia, Singapore, derogatory, informal, mildly, possibly

Equivalents

Examples

“Apart from skin colour, I have⟳ nothing in common with these Caucasians. To be honest, I have⟳ very little in common with the expatriates who live⟳ in Singapore either. For a start⟳, most of the ang mohs that live⟳ here, particularly the ones from Britain, tend⟳ to come⟳ from the upper-middle classes.”

“Zhen decided he liked Robert, although the Englishman smiled too much. Perhaps this was the ang mo way. In China, if a man smiled too much he was considered effeminate, but Zhen noticed that Baba Tan was completely at ease with them and laughed and smiled more in their company than when he was with the Chinese.”

“Suyin recognized him immediately—the tall, uncomfortable-looking white man, the ang moh standing guard by the only unoccupied table in the cafe.”

“[H]e attracted the attention of a food vendor and pointed at a pot consisting of different cuts of meat stewed in a dark soy sauce broth, served with flat rice noodles on the side. The food vendors, or hawkers, smiled at each other beatifically while ladling out the hot soup and meat in a bowl. They were probably thinking something on the lines of, "The stupid angmoh doesn't know⟳ what he is about to eat⟳!" Angmoh, literally meaning "red hair," is the Hokkien Chinese collective term for Caucasians.”

“With my kind of career and background, I have⟳ the best of both worlds. You can't tell⟳ me I'm that ang moh (Caucasian) who doesn't understand⟳. I'm the Asian who's been through the same challenges, and I would show⟳ you how to overcome⟳ them.”

“"Ang moh" is still used today with an implicit sense⟳ of the cultural power ang mohs wield in postcolonial Singapore, whether we admit⟳ it anot.”

CEFR level