值班 (zhí bān) — to work a shift; to be on duty

Definition

值班 means being assigned to a specific shift, especially at night, weekends, or holidays — not the daily routine that 上班 covers. 值 is the shorter, more formal verb for the same duty role.

verb
to work a shiftto be on duty

Examples

  • 值班。
    Wǒ míng tiān wǎn shàng zhí bān.
    I'll be on duty tomorrow evening.
  • 值班？
    Zhè ge zhōu mò shuí zhí bān?
    Who is on duty this weekend?
  • 值班。
    Tā měi gè yuè zhí bān èr shí tiān.
    He works twenty days of shifts each month.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

值zhíbe on duty
班bānshift

The parts 值 and 班 combine as be on duty and shift, giving the sense of keeping a work shift.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
直
直zhí值zhí
Same sound today

值 is made from 亻 (written in full as 人, a person) and 直, with 直 giving the sound.

Open 值 →

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 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Workplace & Office

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