“Shhh stop being so bus.”

The pronunciation of bus is nothing like the English “bus” – the large vehicle for mass transportation. Bus is an Afrikaans slang word and stems from the English “busybody”. According to the Meriam Webster dictionary, busybody means “an officious or inquisitive person.”

When someone says you’re bus, they are implying that they don’t want you to be inquiring into their affairs too much and that you should basically mind your own business and stop being so inquisitive.

Using the word bus isn’t very polite, to be honest. It’s very straightforward, quite blunt, and may at times come across as rude depending on the tone used. 

Some examples:

  1. Someone comes into your room and starts to randomly go through your wardrobe. 

In response you would say, “Yoh, don’t be bus.”

  1. Imagine your younger sibling eavesdropping on you and later in the day he/she brings it up.

Your response could be, “Why are you even discussing my business? Please don’t be so bus.”

I hoped you enjoyed the latest Afrikaans slang. And please, we don’t mind you being bus when it comes to engaging in more FunDza content!

Read more here on Eshe.

Tell us: Have you heard or used the term “Bus” before? Who would you usually say it to?