Ah Beng is a stereotype applied to a certain of a group of young Chinese men in Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore and Malaysia. The stereotypical view of a Ah Beng is a young Chinese man or teenager, that lacks cultural refinement or indulges in criminal activity or is involved in brawls or arguments out of disagreements with other people. Ah Bengs are also sometimes associated with extensively-modified or zhng-ed cars, ^[1] and are stereotypically seen as excessively flashy and show-offish. Ah Bengs are often stereotyped as trying to emulate Japanese street fashion.

In Malaysia, the term 'Ah Beng' usually refers to males who have unusual styles and tastes. And the term 'lala-zai' refers to males involved in stereotypical gangster activity or fashion such as the dyeing of hair.

A second definition of 'Ah Beng' is also sometimes used to describe young Chinese men in Southeast Asia who cannot speak fluent English and/or have graduated from the secular Chinese education system of the region. This definition is more positive than those above, as the Ah Bengs are not perceived as being into criminal activities or overly materialistic, but rather as followers of Chinese pop culture, such as Cantopop or Mandopop songs, Chinese entertainment shows and Chinese movies.

Contents 1 Characteristics 2 Etymology 3 References in popular culture 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Characteristics

Ah Bengs are stereotypically Chinese men in their early teens to late 20s, seen hanging out in groups and typically speaking in local slang, which is Hokkien or Cantonese mixed with English and Malay, such as Manglish or Singlish. Their English level is limited to simple English words with incorrect grammar. When having a conversation, Ah Bengs like to curse in their daily speech.

Ah Bengs' fashion has several stereotypes. One stereotype perceives Ah Bengs wearing flamboyant shirts, for example, with colorful decorations - especially dragons, tight jeans and always carrying plastic combs. Another stereotype perceives Ah Bengs trying to follow Japanese fashion, with spiked and dyed hair, metallic ornaments, leather jackets, belts and pants.

Ah Bengs are normally found gathering in the busier and more developed cities in the region. Ah Bengs normally come from Chinese villages or Chinese-dominated communities in cities. Ah Bengs typically come from lower class or middle class families.

[edit] Etymology

Ah Beng comes from the romanization of the Hokkien pronunciation of 阿明 (POJ: a-bêng). 明 is a word commonly used in the names of Chinese males in the region; it means 'bright' in the sense of intelligence. In 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.

[edit] References in popular culture

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

• Army Daze (1996) — A play, later made into a film, depicting the melting pot of National Service in Singapore. One of the characters is named after the term.
• Money No Enough (1998) — ^[2] a film exploring the trials and tribulations of the Chinese-speaking people of Singapore
• 15: The Movie (2003) — "The adventure of five fifteen-year-old boys in Singapore: estranged to every social reference, except for that of appearance and close friendships, they live their lives distant from their families and school, passing their days in a complete state of indolence in the search of experiences, at times even physically painful (tattoos, piercing, wounds)." Official website at Zhao Wei Films
• S11 (2006) — ^[3] another film.

The stereotypical Ah Beng was played by Gurmit Singh in Phua Chu Kang on MediaCorp TV Channel 5 until 2006 as well. 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. And Chu Kang's brother, known as Phua Chu Beng, is an articulate, educated architect who is known as Ah Beng in the show. His character though is that of an anti-thesis to an Ah Beng.^[4]

Ah Bengs are also a source of humor for educated Singaporean and Malaysian. Many published works poke fun at the stereotype.

[edit] See also

• Ah Lian
• NEET - Not in Education，Employment or Training
• Chinaman (中国佬)
• Arsim (Israel)
• Bogan (Australia and NZ)
• Chav, (England)
• Dres (Poland)
• Essex Girl (England)
• Guido (East Coast, United States)
• Naco (Mexico)
• Ned (Scotland)
• Redneck (United States)
• scanger (Republic of Ireland)
• Spide (Belfast, Northern Ireland)
• White Trash (United States)
• Tapori (India)

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Wong Kim Hoh, "Who Says Ah Bengs Cannot Make It?", The Straits Times (2 April 2006).
• Samuel Lee, "Hitting the Right Notes", The Straits Times (21 April 2006).
• from the Coxford Singlish Dictionary
• from A Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English

[edit] External links

• AhBeng and AhLian