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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.
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.
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
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".
1The giveawayCutting 刂 a piece of jade 王 in two, symbolizing two classes
2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 班? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 班?
Decomposition of 班
IDS Structure⿲王刂王
班Full Character
=
王Wang2
left
刂dao1
middle
王Wang2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 班?
How to say class in Chinese
“class” in Chinese is班bān
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.
When to use 班
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.'
班 or something close to it
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.
What learners get wrong
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.
Write 班
班
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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 7 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.
