班房

bānfáng

noun #22,625

Measure Word

一间班房 jiān

Meanings

1 jail
2 prison (colloquial)
3 lockup

Characters

class; shift; group

Examples

他因为盗窃被关进了班房。

Tā yīnwèi dàoqiè bèi guānjìn le bānfáng.

He was locked up for theft.

再不老实就把你送进班房！

Zài bù lǎoshi jiù bǎ nǐ sòng jìn bānfáng!

If you don't behave, you'll be thrown in jail!

Tips

history

班房 originally referred to the waiting room or office used by yamen runners (government servants) in imperial China. Over time it came to mean a detention room or cell, and today is used colloquially for jail or prison.

Stroke Order

班 bān

房 fáng