“Haibona! what’s your problem?”

“Bathong lona! What’s wrong with people?”

“Haibo, why are you so pretty?”

“Bathong… people do that??”

Bathong! how many times as a nation have we had haibo moments? Black Twitter even nicknames South Africa as a country that laughs through shocking hard times.

We show a state of shock or surprise through exaggerated expressions of words like ‘bathong’ and ‘haibo’.

According to the Urban Dictionary, haibo is an isiXhosa expression of surprise in cases that may wow or stun you.

Mzansitaal describes bathong as a Setswana/Batswana word, used to express surprise, shock, disbelief, and dissatisfaction.

Of course, like any slang word they can be used in different ways depending on the context of what is being said or happening.

Tell us how you use haibo/ bathong.

Read why you wouldn’t want to be called bus