Chinese word

上班

Pronunciation

Pinyinshàng bān

Meaning

  • verbgo to work

Example

我每天八点上班。wǒ měi tiān bā diǎn shàng bān

I go to work at eight every day.

Illustration for 上班 (go to work)

More examples

我坐车上班。wǒ zuò chē shàng bān

I go to work by car.

Core concept

A scheduled work period is reached and taken up, joining arrival at a workplace with the start of regular duties.

Common phrases

  • 去上班qù shàng bān

    go to work

  • 早上上班zǎo shàng shàng bān

    go to work in the morning

  • 坐车上班zuò chē shàng bān

    go to work by car

Similar words

工作gōng zuò: Work at a job by doing the tasks it requires.
上学shàng xué: Travel to school to learn in classes.
上课shàng kè: Join a lesson in the classroom as it begins.
出勤chū qín: Attend the workplace for an assigned period of duty.

Definition in Chinese

在规定的时间到工作单位或岗位开始进行工作或值班。zài guī dìng de shí jiān dào gōng zuò dān wèi huò gǎng wèi kāi shǐ jìn xíng gōng zuò huò zhí bān

Word origin

上 (shàng, "go up or take up") + 班 (bān, "work shift") creates the image of taking up an assigned shift at its scheduled time.

Usage tips

  • A clock time normally comes before this verb, while the progressive marker is used when the sentence describes being on duty at that moment.

Other meanings

  • workverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word