haa6 baan1下班
Jyutpinghaa6 baan1
Yalehah bāan
Definition
To finish work; to go off duty.
colloquialwork
How it's used
Use 放工 exclusively for finishing a shift or the workday. It carries a sense of relief or transition, marking the end of professional responsibilities. Unlike formal terms, it is the standard way to describe leaving the workplace in any casual or professional setting.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use the Mandarin term 下班, as it sounds unnatural and overly formal to native speakers. Always opt for 放工 to sound like a local.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
