yan dao en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- [ˌjɛn˨ ˈt˭aʊ˨˦] (Singapore)
Etymology
Borrowed from Hokkien 緣投 /缘投 (iân-tâu, “handsome”); spelling influenced by Mandarin's Hanyu Pinyin romanization. Compare Tagalog yantaw.
Meanings
-
(Singapore, Singlish, not-comparable, of a man) Handsome, stylish.
And WP candidate Bernard Chen, who was making the rounds with Mr Low, won himself an auntie fan who declared: “Yan dao (handsome in Hokkien) leh”.
2015 September 5, Ong Sor Fern, “GE2015: 7 Things Spotted On The Campaign Trail, Sept 5 edition”, in The Straits Times, Singapore: