加班加点 (jiā bān jiā diǎn) — to work overtime, to put in extra hours

Definition

An idiom meaning to put in extra hours and effort, going beyond the normal workday. As a separable phrase, 加班 and 加点 can split — e.g. 加了三天的班 and 加了一个月的点.

idiom
to work overtimeto put in extra hours

Examples

  • ，加班加点。
    Zuì jìn xiàng mù hěn jǐn, dà jiā dōu zài jiā bān jiā diǎn dì gōng zuò.
    The project is very tight recently; everyone is working overtime.
  • ，加班加点。
    Wèi le wán chéng rèn wu, tā men jiā bān jiā diǎn le yí gè yuè.
    To complete the task, they worked overtime for a whole month.
  • 加班加点，。
    Lǎo bǎn yāo qiú wǒ men jiā bān jiā diǎn, yuán gōng dōu hěn lèi.
    The boss demands that we work overtime, and the employees are all very tired.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

加班work overtime
加jiāadd班bānshift
动宾Verb + object
加点add hours
加jiāadd点diǎnhour
动宾Verb + object

“加班” and “加点” both use “加” with “班” (shift) and “点” (hour), so the image is adding shifts and hours.

Characters in this word

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

加 pairs 力 and 口. In one explanation 力 is strength and 口 is the mouth, meaning exaggeration; in another 力 is plowing effort and 口 is breath or exclamation, meaning extra effort.

Open 加 →

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 →

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

加 pairs 力 and 口. In one explanation 力 is strength and 口 is the mouth, meaning exaggeration; in another 力 is plowing effort and 口 is breath or exclamation, meaning extra effort.

Open 加 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 點; 点 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
黑黑hēiblack
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn點diǎn(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 點 pairs 黑 (black) with 占 for its sound; the simplified 点 is a later abbreviation.

Open 点 →

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