Ah Beng en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌɑː(˨)ˈbeŋ(˨˦)/ (Singapore)
Etymology
Borrowed from Hokkien 阿明 (a-bêng), which is a common Chinese male name.
Meanings
-
(Malaysia, Singapore, derogatory) A young Chinese man in Singapore, associated with a stereotype of having little education or sophistication and operating within secret societies and street gangs.
Among the ah bengs and ah lians, the mats and the minahs, the young expats and the backpackers, he stood out like a dozen guys on a male-only dance floor singing Dancing Queen (I'll never forgive Blur for ruining my 21st birthday).
2012 April 15, Neil Humphreys, “From Cool Dude to Sad Old Man”, in The New Paper, page 34:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ah Bengs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Relateds
ah pui · Ah Huay · Ah Seng · Ah Long · Ah Huay · mat rempit · Ah Lian · ah kua · Ah Lian · Ah Tiong