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March 24, 2026
班bān(ban1)
The character 班 (bān) primarily refers to a group or class, such as a class in school or a work team. It can also denote a specific work shift or the ranking of a group. Commonly used in educational and professional contexts, it conveys a sense of collective effort or organization.
Strokes10Radical王Frequency#1284DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of 班 is significant in educational settings, where students are often divided into 班级 (bānjí, classes) based on their grades or subjects. This organization reflects the importance placed on teamwork and collective achievement.
Memory Tip
Imagine a 'ban' of musicians playing together in a class formation. The character 班 looks like a group of people (the top '亻' radical represents a person) standing together, while the bottom part '半' suggests they are half of something bigger, emphasizing teamwork and collaboration.
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AI Study Notes for 班
Quick Contrast
班 (bān) vs 组 (zǔ) — use 班 when referring specifically to a class or group in an educational context, while 组 is more general and can refer to any kind of group or team.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a 'ban' of musicians playing together in a class formation. The character 班 looks like a group of people (the top '亻' radical represents a person) standing together, while the bottom part '半' suggests they are half of something bigger, emphasizing teamwork and collaboration.
Usage Notes
When using 班, be mindful of its context; it is often used in educational or work environments. A common mistake is using it incorrectly as a verb; remember it is a noun. Also, note that the measure word for groups is 个 (gè), as in 一班人 (yī bān rén), meaning 'a group of people.'
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 3 word, 班 connects to other vocabulary related to school and teamwork, such as 学校 (xuéxiào, school) and 组 (zǔ, group). Focus on using it in sentences about your own classes or teams, as this will help reinforce its meaning.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of 班 is significant in educational settings, where students are often divided into 班级 (bānjí, classes) based on their grades or subjects. This organization reflects the importance placed on teamwork and collective achievement.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 班 with its English equivalents, mistakenly translating it as 'classroom' instead of 'class' or 'group.' For example, saying '我在班里上课' (wǒ zài bān lǐ shàng kè) correctly means 'I attend class,' but some might incorrectly say '我在班教室上课' (wǒ zài bān jiàoshì shàng kè), which implies 'in the classroom,' mixing up the context.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 班
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Depicts a knife (刂) cutting a gem into two halves (玨), based on the original meaning "to divide". The meaning later shifted to "division", "group", and "team".
Memory Hint
Cutting 刂 a piece of jade 王 in two, symbolizing two classes
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Practice writing 班 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 班
班 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 8 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Every night you could hear the whistles of the steel mill.
4
西班牙的当务之急是签署《欧洲经济和货币联盟条约》。
xī bān yá de dāng wù zhī jí shì qiān shǔ《 《 ōu zhōu jīng jì hé huò bì lián méng tiáo》。
Spain's top priority is the signing of an EMU treaty.
5
西班牙一直是古巴的主要贸易伙伴之一。
xī bān yá yī zhí shì gǔ bā de zhǔ yào mào yì huǒ bàn zhī yī。
Spain has been one of Cuba's major trading partners.
6
在主日学校她是她们班的班花。
zài zhǔ rì xué xiào tā shì tā mén bān de bān huā。
She was the belle of her Sunday School class.
7
北边是班亚斯德桑隆温泉。
běi biān shì bān yà sī dé sāng lóng wēn quán。
To the north are the hot springs of Banyas de Sant Loan.
8
我花大笔钱购置了上班时穿的漂亮新套装。
wǒ huā dà bǐ qián gòu zhì le shàng bān shí chuān de piāo liàng xīn tào zhuāng。
I spent lots of money on smart new outfits for work.
9
公司对待我的态度就好像是我上班时溜号了似的。
gōng sī duì dài wǒ de tài dù jiù hǎo xiàng shì wǒ shàng bān shí liū hào le sì de。
The company treated me as though I were skiving.
10
我及时赶上了飞往伦敦的航班。
wǒ jí shí gǎn shàng le fēi wǎng lún dūn de háng bān。
I arrived just in time for my flight to London.
11
班先生是我爸爸的朋友。
Bān xiānsheng shì wǒ bàba de péngyou.
Mr. Ban is a friend of my dad's.
12
班老师教我们汉语。
Bān lǎoshī jiāo wǒmen hànyǔ.
Teacher Ban teaches us Chinese.
13
班小姐很喜欢看书。
Bān xiǎojiě hěn xǐhuan kàn shū.
Miss Ban likes reading books a lot.
14
我今天见到了班医生。
Wǒ jīntiān jiàn dào le Bān yīshēng.
I met Dr. Ban today.
15
班先生住在我们家附近。
Bān xiānsheng zhù zài wǒmen jiā fùjìn.
Mr. Ban lives near our house.
16
班女士给我介绍了她的家人。
Bān nǚshì gěi wǒ jièshào le tā de jiārén.
Ms. Ban introduced her family to me.
17
班先生是我爸爸的朋友。
Bān xiānsheng shì wǒ bàba de péngyou.
Mr. Ban is a friend of my dad's.
18
班老师教我们汉语。
Bān lǎoshī jiāo wǒmen hànyǔ.
Teacher Ban teaches us Chinese.
19
班小姐很喜欢看书。
Bān xiǎojiě hěn xǐhuan kàn shū.
Miss Ban likes reading books a lot.
20
我今天见到了班医生。
Wǒ jīntiān jiàn dào le Bān yīshēng.
I met Dr. Ban today.
21
班先生住在我们家附近。
Bān xiānsheng zhù zài wǒmen jiā fùjìn.
Mr. Ban lives near our house.
22
班女士给我介绍了她的家人。
Bān nǚshì gěi wǒ jièshào le tā de jiārén.
Ms. Ban introduced her family to me.
23
班先生是我爸爸的朋友。
Bān xiānsheng shì wǒ bàba de péngyou.
Mr. Ban is a friend of my dad's.
24
班老师教我们汉语。
Bān lǎoshī jiāo wǒmen hànyǔ.
Teacher Ban teaches us Chinese.
25
班小姐很喜欢看书。
Bān xiǎojiě hěn xǐhuan kàn shū.
Miss Ban likes reading books a lot.
26
我今天见到了班医生。
Wǒ jīntiān jiàn dào le Bān yīshēng.
I met Dr. Ban today.
27
班先生住在我们家附近。
Bān xiānsheng zhù zài wǒmen jiā fùjìn.
Mr. Ban lives near our house.
28
班女士给我介绍了她的家人。
Bān nǚshì gěi wǒ jièshào le tā de jiārén.
Ms. Ban introduced her family to me.
29
班先生是我爸爸的朋友。
Bān xiānsheng shì wǒ bàba de péngyou.
Mr. Ban is a friend of my dad's.
30
班老师教我们汉语。
Bān lǎoshī jiāo wǒmen hànyǔ.
Teacher Ban teaches us Chinese.
31
班小姐很喜欢看书。
Bān xiǎojiě hěn xǐhuan kàn shū.
Miss Ban likes reading books a lot.
32
我今天见到了班医生。
Wǒ jīntiān jiàn dào le Bān yīshēng.
I met Dr. Ban today.
33
班先生住在我们家附近。
Bān xiānsheng zhù zài wǒmen jiā fùjìn.
Mr. Ban lives near our house.
34
班女士给我介绍了她的家人。
Bān nǚshì gěi wǒ jièshào le tā de jiārén.
Ms. Ban introduced her family to me.
Cultural Notes for 班
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, the concept of 班 is significant in educational settings, where students are often divided into 班级 (bānjí, classes) based on their grades or subjects. This organization reflects the importance placed on teamwork and collective achievement.
