Ah Lian

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Hokkien 阿蓮 / 阿莲 (a-liân).

Noun

Ah Lian (plural Ah Lians)

1. (Malaysia, Singapore, derogatory, ethnic slur) A young Chinese woman in Singapore associated with a stereotype of having little education or sophistication and operating within secret societies and street gangs.
   • 2012 April 15, Neil Humphreys, “From Cool Dude to Sad Old Man”, in The New Paper, page 34:

     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).

Related terms

• Ah Huay
• Ah Beng (male equivalent)
• Ah Seng (male equivalent)

See also

• Alian