Chinese word

补班

Pronunciation

Pinyinbǔ bān

Meaning

  • verbmake up a workday

Example

我今天要去补班，所以晚上会很晚回家。wǒ jīn tiān yào qù bǔ bān suó yǐ wǎn shàng huì hěn wǎn huí jiā

I have to make up a workday today, so I will get home late tonight.

Illustration for 补班 (make up a workday)

More examples

因为公司临时缺人，我这周末要补班。yīn wèi gōng sī lín shí quē rén wǒ zhè zhōu mò yào bǔ bān

Because the company is suddenly short-staffed, I have to make up a workday this weekend.

Core concept

An empty place in the work roster is filled by another worker, restoring the planned coverage.

Common phrases

  • 去补班qù bǔ bān

    go make up a workday

  • 帮人补班bāng rén bǔ bān

    fill in for someone

  • 周末补班zhōu mò bǔ bān

    make up a workday on the weekend

Similar words

加班jiā bān: Working extra hours after the regular work period ends.
代班dài bān: Going to work temporarily in place of someone who cannot attend.
顶班dǐng bān: Covering another person's vacant shift for a brief period.
值班zhí bān: Being on duty at work during a set time.

Definition in Chinese

代替他人上班，填补因请假或缺席产生的班次空缺。dài tì tā rén shàng bān tián bǔ yīn qǐng jià huò quē xí chǎn shēng de bān cì kòng quē

Word origin

In 补班 (bǔbān, "make up a workday"), 补 (bǔ, "fill a shortage") joins 班 (bān, "work shift") to name the act of supplying the shift that an absence has left uncovered.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often use "make up" for completing their own missed work, whereas this Chinese workplace term focuses on taking another person's scheduled shift.

Other meanings

  • work a replacement shiftverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word