Ah Beng comes from the romanization of the Hokkien pronunciation of 阿明 (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: a-bêng). The character "明" (pinyin: míng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bêng) is commonly used in the names of Chinese males in the region; the term "Ah Beng" alludes to their commonness. In the Cantonese-speaking parts of Malaysia and Singapore, Ah Beng is also known as lala zai (啦啦仔). "Lala" =clam, while "zai" means "boy." "Lala zai" refers to individuals who speak Manglish and possess a strong preference for gaudy fashions or hairstyles.

Ah Beng (Chinese: 阿明) is a stereotype applied to a certain group of young Chinese men in Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore and Malaysia, who display common characteristics such as having dyed hair, wearing loud fashion and being less educated. The female equivalent of an Ah Beng is an Ah Lian (simplified Chinese: 阿莲; traditional Chinese: 阿蓮; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: a-liân).

A stereotypical Ah Beng would be someone who is not highly educated, is loud and unsophisticated, and operates within secret societies and street gangs. Ah Lians on the other hand are regarded as bimbos, and are stereotyped as anti-intellectual, superficial, materialistic, and shallow.[citation needed]

Outside of Southeast Asia, in English-speaking countries, the equivalent of an Ah Beng would be Australia's bogans, the United States' rednecks, and Britain's chavs.

This post has been edited by y500: Apr 6 2021, 02:50 PM