班 (bān) — class / shift

班 (bān)

班 primarily means a class of students or a work shift. It is also used as a measure word for scheduled transport departures and as part of compound words related to work schedules.

Meanings

1. [noun] Class; classroom group of students.
2. [noun] Work shift; duty period.
3. [measure word] Scheduled trip or service (for buses, planes, trains).

Example Sentences

我们班一共有三十个学生。 Wǒmen bān yīgòng yǒu sānshí gè xuésheng. Our class has thirty students in total.

他今天要上夜班。 Tā jīntiān yào shàng yèbān. He has to work the night shift today.

下一班飞机几点出发？ Xià yī bān fēijī jǐ diǎn chūfā? What time does the next flight depart?

我们班的老师非常认真。 Wǒmen bān de lǎoshī fēicháng rènzhēn. Our class teacher is very dedicated.

Collocations

Memory Hook

Think of 班 as a group of people assigned together. Whether it is students in a class or workers on a shift, they are a team with a shared schedule.