Am1 Bong3-Bong1 Hokkien Ditty

Hokkien Rhymes & Ditties (28 February, 2004)


Am1 Bong3-Bong1, which means "in total darkness", is a Hokkien Ditty which many Penang Chinese adults learned when they were small. There are many versions to it of which I offer below the version I learned from neighbours.

Am1 bong3-bong1,
Niau1chu1 kong1,
Ah3 Mah4 phak3 Ah3 Kong1.
Ah3 Kong1 paek3 khi1 cang2,
Ah3 Mah4 choay3 boh3 lang2.

In total darkness,
Grandfather rat,
Grandma beat Grandpa
Grandpa climbed up a tree
Grandma couldn't find him anywhere.

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

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