"barang-barang" means: One's personal belongings; or more broadly, miscellaneous articles or things, paraphernalia.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
barang-barang
(Singlish, Manglish) One's personal belongings; or more broadly, miscellaneous articles or things, paraphernalia.
Definitions
US
#1·Apr 27, 2026US
(Singlish, Manglish) One's personal belongings; or more broadly, miscellaneous articles or things, paraphernalia.
Please remove all your barang-barang from the empty space next to you.
For parents
"barang-barang" means: One's personal belongings; or more broadly, miscellaneous articles or things, paraphernalia.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
"barang-barang" means: One's personal belongings; or more broadly, miscellaneous articles or things, paraphernalia.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Slang from Black American Vernacular English (AAVE), hip-hop, drag and ballroom culture, the Caribbean, and NYC street vocabulary. The single largest source of new mainstream English slang in living memory.
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