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上班 (shàng bān) — to go to work; to be on duty

Definition

Everyday verb meaning 'go to work / be at work' — the natural pair to 下班 ('get off work'). 办公 is for office work in general; 值班 is for scheduled shifts.

verb
to go to workto be on duty
Easily confused

Examples

  • 上班？
    Nǐ shàng bān ma?
    Do you go to work?
  • 上班。
    Wǒ bú shàng bān.
    I don't go to work.
  • 。
    Tā shàng le yí gè bān.
    He worked a shift.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

上shànggo on
班bānshift

上 (go on) plus 班 (shift) gives going to work.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Open 上 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 珏珏juépieces of jade
  • 刀刀dāoknife

班 shows 珏, pieces of jade, and 刀, a knife, cutting them into pieces.

Open 班 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 1HSK 2.0 Level 2Workplace & Office2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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