班

• Pinyin: bān
• Hanzi breakdown: 班 = 王 (jade) + 刂 (knife) + 王 (jade) — dividing jade into equal parts, hence 'group'

Meaning

Class; shift; scheduled service. A group of students, a work shift, or a regularly scheduled bus or train.

Most commonly refers to a class of students (我们班, our class). Also used as a measure word for scheduled transport (下一班车, the next bus). In work contexts, 上班 means 'go to work' and 下班 means 'get off work'.

Examples

1. 我们班有三十个学生。 Our class has thirty students.
2. 你在几班？ Which class are you in?
3. 下一班车几点来？ What time does the next bus come?

Usage Guide

Context: school, work, transportation

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我们班的同学都很好。(The classmates in our class are all great.)
• 你每天几点上班？(What time do you go to work every day?)

Don't Say

• 我在一个班学习 when meaning a single lesson (班 is a group, not a single lesson — use 课 for individual lessons)

Origin & History

The character shows two pieces of jade (王 doubled) separated by a knife (刂), originally meaning 'to distribute equally' — hence dividing people into classes or groups.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal