班味

What does 班味 mean?

班味 is the “aura” that clings to people once they start working (上班): tired eyes, a dull complexion, low energy, and no interest in dressing up or having fun. People say someone has a “heavy 班味” or joke about trying to “wash off the 班味” on holiday. It is a self-deprecating, relatable joke rather than an insult, often used by young professionals laughing at their own exhaustion. It fits the same family as 打工人 and 牛马, the wry vocabulary of everyday working life.

Where does 班味 come from?

It took off from an online post with a title along the lines of “once you start working, your whole aura changes”, which listed the weary traits a job leaves on people. The word spread quickly in 2024 and was included in 《咬文嚼字》 (Yaowen Jiaozi)'s top ten buzzwords of that year.

How to use 班味

• 才上班一个月，我身上的班味就藏不住了。
  Cái shàngbān yí gè yuè, wǒ shēnshang de bān wèi jiù cáng bú zhù le.
  I've only been working for a month and the office-worker vibe is already written all over me.
• 放假第一件事：去海边把班味洗掉。
  Fàngjià dì yī jiàn shì: qù hǎibiān bǎ bān wèi xǐ diào.
  First thing on my vacation: go to the beach and wash off the work vibe.