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What Is The 'Mi Bombo' Meme? The Meaning Of 'Mi Bombo' And The Duolingo Character Memes On TikTok Explained
The "Mi Bombo" meme has completely taken over the TikTok "For You" pages of some users. They just can't escape the little Duolingo character belting it and now they want to know what "Mi Bombo" means.
Brainrot after brainrot edit has solidified the "Mi Bombo" meme into internet history, but many don't know where the original soundbite came from. In fact, the original video has a guy shouting, "Mi bomboclaat!" before being cut short.
Few have seen the original, and many want to know how the language learning app, Duolingo, got involved. So, let's explain what "Mi Bombo" means, where it came from and how the meme has developed online.
What Does 'Mi Bombo' Mean?
"Mi bombo" has a few meanings, depending on which language is being translated. In Spanish, "mi bombo" means "my bass drum." In Jamaican patois, "mi bombo" is a shortening of "mi bomboclat," which is an expressive slang expletive in Jamaica.
The latter definition is more closely related to the "Mi Bombo" audio's original context. However, the former Spanish term is why the meme has adopted a red-haired Duolingo boy as its mascot.
What Is The Original 'Mi Bombo' Video?
Back in 2023, a TikToker named @toxicboss1876 shared a video of his friend trying to cut a coconut in half with a machete. The guy totally whiffs, and when he does, someone off camera shouts, "Mi bomboclaat!"
However, the video cuts short before the guy finishes his sentence. In turn, it sounds like he says, "Mi bombo!" without the final "-clat." In the following years, his broken quote became a popular sound effect in video edit memes.
@toxicboss1876
Where Did The 'Mi Bombo' Duolingo Meme Come From?
This year, a Rocket League player named @rl_jfc on TikTok used the "Mi Bombo" sound effect in one of their clips. It shows them scoring a goal in the mobile version of the car-football video game and then switching apps to the Duolingo.
It appears that they're learning Spanish, and the next "sentence" they're tasked with saying is, "Mi bombo." A cartoon red-haired boy is the one teaching them. He says the phrase in a high-pitched voice.
@rl_jfc used the video to emphasize their stunning Rocket League goal. "Did I overreact?" was their video's caption.
As far as we know, @rl_jfc's video is the first memetic use of the Duolingo version of the "Mi Bombo" meme. In the following weeks, their clip became well-known as it spread in new and weird formats.
@rl_jfc valid crashout⁉️ #rocketleague #rocketleaguecore #memes ♬ original sound – JFC
What Are Some More 'Mi Bombo' Memes?
The Duolingo boy saying, "Mi Bombo," has become the leading exploitable audio and video element online, usurping the original coconut-cutting video that started the meme.
For instance, creators on TikTok have placed the "Mi Bombo" boy into the "Big Forehead Homers Guide" across several iterations. Others have generated fancam edits that powerscale the boy with other Duolingo characters like Lily, the goth girl.
It's safe to say that Duolingo, the company, is probably happy about the meme's popularity. The whole app is held up by the company's aggressive viral marketing strategy, which largely involves memes and publicity stunts, like when their mascot, the Duolingo owl, "passed away" earlier this year.
This time, though, a meme surrounding the brand spread naturally, as far as we can tell. We wouldn't put it past the app's social media team to astroturf a false flag organic trend.
@fan_play2 #duolingo #mibombo #вреки #рекомендации #fupシ ♬ оригинальный звук – Krutoe
@duolingoespanol MI BOMBO
@vortx.editsz Mi bombo || pls dont flop || #fyp #xyzabc #mibombo #egyptedit #trending @Cheese ♬ vortx edit gng – 𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐱🍃
@kalafangit MI BOMBO🗣🔥🔥🔥 #fyp#duolingo#mibombo#meme#funk#vhm4d ♬ original sound – VHM4D
@sillysobo mi bombo azumanga daioh osaka edition #azumangadaioh #azumangadaiohosaka #azumanga #osaka #cosplay ♬ оригинальный звук – Flopa
justmyedits_212Best Duolingo Character Ever ? // Mi Bombo (Junior) Edit 🔥👀#mibombo #duolingo #zzxwnch #mixtapeedits #viraledits | SONG : MI BOMBO FUNK - @djfallthox ,djlxill ,others… ~ wm by : @droxzey ♬ son original – ZZXWNCH
For the full history of Mi Bombo, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.
