班级

• Pinyin: bān jí
• Hanzi breakdown: 班 = 王 (jade) + 刂 (knife) + 王 (jade), originally dividing jade; 级 = 纟(silk) + 及 (reach), meaning level

Meaning

Class; class group. A group of students who study together in a school.

Refers to the organisational unit of a class in schools from primary through university. Each class typically has a class teacher (班主任) and a class monitor (班长). More formal than 班 alone.

Examples

1. 我们班级一共有四十五个学生。 There are forty-five students in our class.
2. 学校组织了班级之间的篮球比赛。 The school organised a basketball competition between classes.
3. 他是班级里学习成绩最好的学生。 He is the student with the best grades in the class.

Usage Guide

Context: school, education

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我们班级的同学关系很好。(The classmates in our class get along very well.)
• 这个班级的成绩在全年级排名第一。(This class ranks first in the whole grade.)

Don't Say

• 我在办公室的班级 (Don't use 班级 for workplace teams — it only refers to school classes. Use 部门 or 团队 for work groups)

Origin & History

Compound of 班 (class, shift) and 级 (level, grade), together meaning a class group at a particular grade level.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal