Chinese–EnglishWith examples

上班

shàng bān · shang ban

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

HSK 1Old HSK 2

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. to go to work
  2. to be on duty
  3. to start work
  4. to go to the office
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In a conversation

0:22 cartoon

Going to work

  1. Leon

    我(wǒ)坐(zuò)地铁(dìtiě)上班(shàngbān)要(yào)一个(yīgè)小时(xiǎoshí)。

    It takes me an hour to go to work by subway.

  2. Dengdeng

    一个(yīgè)小时(xiǎoshí)？你(nǐ)怎么(zěnme)不(bù)骑车(qíchē)上班(shàngbān)呢(ne)？

    An hour? Why not ride a bike to work?

  3. Leon

    骑车(qíchē)只(zhǐ)要(yào)二十(èrshí)分钟(fēnzhōng)，可是(kěshì)我(wǒ)不会(bùhuì)骑(qí)。

    By bike it takes only twenty minutes, but I can't ride.

  4. Liangliang

    我(wǒ)教(jiāo)你(nǐ)吧(ba)！学会(xuéhuì)以后(yǐhòu)你(nǐ)就(jiù)能(néng)骑车(qíchē)上班(shàngbān)了(le)。

    I will teach you! Then you can ride to work.

  5. Leon

    不用(bùyòng)了(le)，我(wǒ)下个月(xiàgèyuè)开始(kāishǐ)在家(zàijiā)上班(shàngbān)。

    No need. From next month I work from home!

Tap a word for its meaning in this line. The characters’ voices are computer-generated.

In a sentence

2 examples
01

除(chú)了(le)雨(yǔ)天(tiān)，我(wǒ)都(dōu)是(shì)骑(qí)车(chē)去(qù)上(shàng)班(bān)的(de)。

I go to the office by bicycle except on rainy days.

Tatoeba: Chinese by fucongcong · English by CK · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

02

我(wǒ)现(xiàn)在(zài)在(zài)上(shàng)班(bān)，所(suǒ)以(yǐ)晚(wǎn)点(diǎn)打(dǎ)给(gěi)你(nǐ)。

I'm at work now, so I'll call you later.

Tatoeba: Chinese by fucongcong · English by CK · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

Sources & licenses

How to write

Stroke order & practice

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

The characters

Explore individually
上
shàng

(bound form) up; upper; above; previous; first (of multiple parts)

班
bān

team; class; grade; (military) squad

Individual character meanings do not always explain the meaning of a whole word.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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