班味

bānwèi

noun

Meanings

1 the worn-down-by-work look; the visible 'office-drone' air about someone (tired eyes, bad skin, slumped posture, dead stare)

Characters

work shift / class

taste / smell / vibe

Examples

一上班就沾染班味,洗都洗不掉。

Yí shàngbān jiù zhānrǎn bānwèi, xǐ dōu xǐ bu diào.

As soon as you start working, you pick up the 'office-grind' smell you can't wash off.

放假两天,脸上的班味终于淡了。

Fàngjià liǎng tiān, liǎn shàng de bānwèi zhōngyú dàn le.

Two days off and the worn-down-by-work look has finally faded.

她虽然在上班,但一点班味都没有。

Tā suīrán zài shàngbān, dàn yìdiǎn bānwèi dōu méiyǒu.

She has a job but doesn't give off any 'office drone' energy at all.

Tips

culture

Coined by Xiaohongshu users in spring 2024 to describe the almost physical aura that clings to people after too many months at a desk job: fluorescent-light skin, pilled-sweater slump, dead-inside stare. Continues the 打工人 tradition of naming office-life malaise with black humor. Named a 2024 Top 10 buzzword by 《咬文嚼字》.

usage

Pattern 味 'smell / vibe' used metaphorically: 学生味 (student vibe), 妈味 (auntie vibe), 老钱味 (old money vibe). Common verbs: 沾 (pick up), 去 (remove), 有/没有 (have / not have).

Stroke Order

班 bān

味 wèi