Min Nan

Alternative forms

• 阿啄仔
• 阿桌仔
• 阿督仔

Noun

a-tok-á ‎(POJ, traditional and simplified 阿斲仔)

1. (slang) a westerner; a person of Caucasian descent; a round eyes
   • ?:, Cao Lihua ed., 笑詼一則----抑m7鎖咧 (Taiwanese jokes ahm so leh)

     (trad.) 有一 e5歐巴桑去美國 chit4-tho5，欲去便所 e5時，因為 m7捌字，煞行入去查甫 e0彼間，無外久，一 e5阿督仔行入去，隨擱闖出來，一直喝講：「I am sorry ， I am sorry。」尾 a0，彼 e5阿婆仔行出來氣 chua3chua3講：「夭壽哦！一 e5阿督仔真無禮貌，行入來人 e5便所，也擱怪人門「抑 m7鎖咧！」

     (simp.) 有一 e5欧巴桑去美国 chit4-tho5，欲去便所 e5时，因为 m7捌字，煞行入去查甫 e0彼间，无外久，一 e5阿督仔行入去，随搁闯出来，一直喝讲：「I am sorry ， I am sorry。」 尾 a0，彼 e5阿婆仔行出来气 chua3chua3讲：「夭寿哦！ 一 e5阿督仔真无礼貌，行入来人 e5便所，也搁怪人门「抑 m7锁咧！」

     ū chi̍t-ê o͘-bá-sáng khì bí-kok chhit-thô, beh khì piān-só͘ ê sî, in-ūi m̄ bat-jī, soà kiâⁿ ji̍p-khì cha-po͘ ê hit keng, bô-goā-kú, chi̍t-ê a-tok-á kiâⁿ ji̍p-khì, sûi koh chhòan chhut-lâi, it-ti̍t hoah kóng, "I am sorry, I am sorry." bóe-á, hit-ê a-pô-á kiâⁿ chhut-lâi khì-choà-choà kóng, "iáu-siū-á! chi̍t-ê a-tok-á chin bô lé-māu, kiâⁿ ji̍p-lâi lâng ê piān-só͘, iáu-koh koài lâng mn̂g, "a̍h m̄ só leh!"

     There was an old granny who went to the US on vacation. When it came time for her to go to the restroom, she couldn't read the words on the door, so she ended up going into the men's room. Before long, a round eyes walked in, then quickly rushed out. As he did so, he kept yelling, "I am sorry, I am sorry." Finally, the old lady came out, angrily saying, "**** him! These round eyes are very rude; barging into my bathroom; blaming me, saying the door 'wasn't yet locked!' ("it isn't locked" is "ahm so leh" which sounds like "I am sorry")"

Usage notes

• Usually used in reference to white westerners. Like most such ethnic terms, the word is either insulting or neutral depending on who says it, and in what context.

References

• “Entry #4617”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (in Chinese and Min Nan), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2011.