Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
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.
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
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
Premium — Locked
AI tone practice
Pro
Drill the tone of 班 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 班 through them.
Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 300 AI credits.
How Well Do You Know 班?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 班 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
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
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
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 班 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Write correctly 3 times to earn XP
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.
