Chinese word

上班族

Pronunciation

Pinyinshàng bān zú

Meaning

  • nounoffice worker

Example

很多上班族每天坐地铁上班。hěn duō shàng bān zú měi tiān zuò dì tiě shàng bān

Many office workers take the subway to work every day.

Illustration for 上班族 (office worker)

More examples

很多上班族午休时在公司附近吃饭。hěn duō shàng bān zú wǔ xiū shí zài gōng sī fù jìn chī fàn

Many office workers eat near the company during their lunch break.

Core concept

A social category built around the daily rhythm of traveling to a regular paid workplace.

Common phrases

  • 朝九晚五的上班族zhāo jiú wán wǔ de shàng bān zú

    nine-to-five office worker

  • 通勤的上班族tōng qín de shàng bān zú

    commuting office worker

  • 加班的上班族jiā bān de shàng bān zú

    office worker who works overtime

Similar words

员工yuán gōng: A person who works for a company or organization and receives wages or a salary.
职员zhí yuán: A staff member who carries out assigned duties in a company or government office.

Definition in Chinese

指按固定时间到公司或单位工作并领取薪酬的人员，通常有固定工作地点和通勤安排。zhǐ àn gù dìng shí jiān dào gōng sī huò dān wèi gōng zuò bìng líng qǔ xīn chóu de rén yuán tōng cháng yǒu gù dìng gōng zuò dì diǎn hé tōng qín ān pái

Word origin

上班族 (shàngbānzú, "office worker") combines 上 (shàng, "go up") + 班 (bān, "work shift") + 族 (zú, "group"), with the first two characters expressing going to work and the last forming a group label.

Usage tips

  • English office worker can suggest desk work, but this Chinese term centers on regular paid employment and its routine, so it also covers company employees whose jobs are not at desks.

Other meanings

  • salaried workernoun
  • company employeenoun

Opposites

  • 自由职业者zì yóu zhí yè zhěfreelancernoun
  • 失业者shī yè zhěunemployed personnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word