下课

You’ll hear this most often from your teacher. They’ll say it to wrap up the lesson. You can also say it to your classmates, maybe as a reminder that it's time to go. It’s a simple, direct way to mark the end of a learning session. Imagine it like pressing the 'stop' button on a video.

• A teacher says: "好了，今天就到这里，下课！" (Hǎo le, jīntiān jiù dào zhèlǐ, xià kè!) - 'Alright, that's all for today, class dismissed!'
• A student to a friend: "快走吧，下课了！" (Kuài zǒu ba, xià kè le!) - 'Let's go, class is over!'
• In a study group chat: "明天下课后讨论这个。" (Míngtiān xià kè hòu tǎolùn zhège.) - 'Let's discuss this after class tomorrow.'

Use 下课 when a formal lesson or class has officially concluded. This applies to school classes, university lectures, language courses, workshops, and even training sessions. It's the direct opposite of starting a class. It signals the end, the closing of the academic chapter for that period. It’s the verbal equivalent of closing your textbook.

Don't use 下课 for informal study sessions with friends that don't have a set end time. If you're just chatting about a subject, it's not really a 'class'. Also, avoid it for breaks *during* a class; that's usually signaled by words like 休息 (xiūxi - rest) or 课间 (kèjiān - break time). It’s not for when a movie ends, unless it’s a film *class*. That would be weird.

Using 下课 when the teacher is just pausing for a moment is a classic blunder. It implies the whole session is done when it's just a breather. Another mistake is using it for the end of the school *day*; for that, you might use 放学 (fàngxué). It's like calling your whole vacation 'lunchtime'.

• 结束 (jiéshù): Means 'to end' or 'to finish'. It's more general. You can finish a book or a project with 结束. 下课 is specifically for classes.
• 放学 (fàngxué): This means school is out for the day. It's the end of all classes for the day, not just one lesson. Think of 下课 as ending one episode, and 放学 as finishing the whole season.
• 散会 (sànhuì): This is for meetings, not classes. It means 'meeting adjourned'. You wouldn't tell your professor 散会!

Often, you'll hear 下课了 (xià kè le). The 了 (le) particle here indicates a change of state – class *has now* ended. It's super common and adds a sense of completion. Sometimes, teachers might say something like, "好，我们今天下课" (Hǎo, wǒmen jīntiān xià kè) - 'Okay, we finish class today.' It’s just a slightly more complete sentence.