下班

• Pinyin: xià bān
• Hanzi breakdown: 下 = below/down (a line below a horizontal stroke); 班 = 王 (jade) + 刂 (knife) — originally 'to divide jade,' later 'shift'

Meaning

To get off work; to finish work. Describes the action of ending one's work shift.

The opposite of 上班 (go to work). Used for all types of employment to indicate the end of the workday. Very common in daily conversation about schedules and routines. Can be used as a verb phrase or to describe a time period.

Examples

1. 爸爸五点下班。 Dad gets off work at five.
2. 你几点下班？ What time do you get off work?
3. 下班以后我们去吃饭吧。 Let's go eat after work.

Usage Guide

Context: work, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我六点下班。(I get off work at six.)
• 你下班了吗？(Are you off work?)

Don't Say

• 我下班了工作。(Redundant — 下班 already means finishing work; don't add 工作 after it)

Origin & History

A compound of 下 (down/off) and 班 (work shift/class). Literally means 'get off one's shift,' the counterpart to 上班 (get on one's shift).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal