Ah Beng

Ah Beng (Chinese: 阿炳; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: a-bêng or a-bîng) is a stereotype applied to a certain group of young Chinese men in Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore and Malaysia. The female equivalent of an Ah Beng is an Ah Lian (Chinese: 阿莲; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: a-lián).

Ah Beng is usually used as a derogatory term for someone. Ah Beng usually means that someone is not highly educated, is unsophisticated, and operates within secret societies and street gangs. Ah Lians are regarded as bimbos, and are stereotyped as anti-intellectual, superficial, materialistic, and .

Ah Beng comes from the romanization of the Hokkien pronunciation of 阿明 (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: a-bêng). 明 is a word commonly used in the names of Chinese males in the region, thus the term "Ah Beng" alludes to their commonness. In the Cantonese-speaking parts of Malaysia, Ah Beng is also known as lala zai. 'Lala' has no actual meaning in itself, while 'zai' (pronounced 'chai') means 'boy'. 'Lala zai' refers to individuals who speak Manglish and possess a strong preference for gaudy fashions or hairstyles.

Ah Bengs have been featured in several Singaporean films, including:

The stereotypical Ah Beng was the title character in the television series Phua Chu Kang, played by Gurmit Singh. The fact that Gurmit Singh has a mixed ancestry including Indian, Japanese, and Chinese blood makes his convincing portrayal of an uneducated Chinese man even more notable. In the show, Chu Kang's brother, Phua Chu Beng, is humorously nicknamed Ah Beng, despite being an articulate, educated architect, the complete antithesis of an Ah Beng.

International:

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