下班

You use 下班 to talk about leaving work. You can say when you usually finish. Or you can say you are leaving now. It's a very common verb phrase. You can use it with time words. Like 我五点下班 (I get off work at 5). Or with location words. Like 我下班回家 (I get off work and go home). It's super flexible. Just remember it’s about the *end* of your work. Not the start. Or a break in the middle. It’s the final exit.

• Texting a friend: "我快下班了，晚上一起吃饭？" (I'm almost off work, wanna grab dinner tonight?)
• On a video call: "抱歉，我得走了，马上就要下班了。" (Sorry, I have to go, I'm about to get off work.)
• Posting on social media: "终于下班！周末我来啦！" (Finally off work! Weekend, here I come!)
• Talking to a colleague: "你今天几点下班？" (What time are you getting off work today?)

Use 下班 when you are talking about the end of your workday. Any time you leave your job for the day. It works for office jobs. It works for retail jobs. It works for factory jobs. It works for pretty much any job. When your shift is over, you 下班. If your boss asks when you're free, you say when you 下班. It’s the universal sign for "work is done!".

Don't use 下班 for other types of 'getting off'. Like getting off a bus. Or getting off a bike. That’s a different word! 下车 (xià chē) is for vehicles. Also, don't use it for a break. If you’re just grabbing lunch. You’re not 下班 yet. You’re still on duty. It’s also not for starting work. That would be 上班 (shàng bān). Using 下班 then would be super confusing. Imagine saying "I'm getting off work now" at 9 AM. Your boss would be puzzled.

A big mistake is confusing it with 上班 (shàng bān). 上班 means to go *to* work or start work. So saying 我早上上班 (I go to work in the morning) is correct. Saying 我早上下班 (I get off work in the morning) is… well, it means you finished your job before noon! This happens a lot. Also, mixing up 下班 with 下车 (get off a vehicle) is funny. Like saying "I got off work the train". Oops!

• ✗ 我早上下班 → ✓ 我早上上班
• ✗ 我下班了火车 → ✓ 我下车了火车

There are ways to say similar things. 结束工作 (jiéshù gōngzuò) means "finish work". It's more formal. 收工 (shōugōng) is often used by manual laborers. Like construction workers. It means "knock off" or "wrap up". 告别工作 (gàobié gōngzuò) means "bid farewell to work". This is quite poetic. 下班 is the most common and neutral. It fits almost any situation. It’s your everyday go-to.

You might hear 下班了 (xià bān le). The 了 (le) particle adds a sense of completion. It means "work is finished now!". It’s very common. You can also say 下班时间 (xià bān shíjiān). This means "quitting time" or "closing time". For example, "下班时间到了" (Closing time has arrived). Sometimes people say 下班回家 (xià bān huí jiā). This just emphasizes going home after work. Simple, clear, and very relatable.

It's pretty neutral. You can use it in most situations. It's not super casual slang. But it's not stiffly formal either. Think of it like saying "get off work" in English. Perfect for texts and chats. Also fine in most office settings.

No, definitely not! 下班 means your entire workday is over. A lunch break is just a pause. You'll go back to work after eating. You need to wait until the *real* end of the day for 下班.

The opposite is 上班 (shàng bān). This means "to go to work" or "to start work". So, you 上班 in the morning. And you 下班 in the evening. They are a perfect pair, like coffee and donuts!