Ah Beng

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ah Beng is a term commonly given to a member of a group of young Chinese men in Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore and Malaysia. These Chinese men, whose age ranging from their early teens to late 20s, usually centralise in the busier and more developed cities in the region, but are usually seen as originating from smaller or more rural towns. Ah bengs typically speak local slang, which is Hokkien or Cantonese mixed with English and Malay, such as Manglish or Singlish. They are often stereotypically portrayed to be anti-intellectual, superficial and materialistic and shallow. These values often lead to a lack of culture or indulgence in criminal activity or being involved in brawling or affray out of disagreement with other people. Ah bengs are also sometimes associated with extensively-modified or zhng-ed cars,^[1] and are stereotypically seen as being excessively flashy and show-offs.

The term '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.

1 Etymology
2 Cultural references
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Etymology

Ah Beng comes from the romanization of the Hokkien pronunciation of 阿明. 明 is a word commonly used in the names of Chinese males in the region; it means 'bright'.

[edit] Cultural references

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
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 a uneducated Chinese man even more notable.^[4]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ mrbrown, "Browncast: Zhng My Car" (10 October 2005, accessed 4 September 2006).
^ Qian Bu Gou Yong from IMDB.
^ Tan Dawn Wei, "Ah Beng Rulz Liao", The Straits Times (2 August 2006).
^ Mak Mun San, "I'm a Paid Extrovert", The Straits Times (28 August 2006).

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).