班味

That invisible but unmistakable aura of someone who has been ground down by office life — the glazed eyes, the automatic smile, the way you say 'noted' instead of 'okay.' It's not just tiredness; it's a full-body vibe of corporate resignation. Chinese Gen-Z coined this term to roast themselves and each other for becoming exactly the kind of burnt-out worker drones they swore they'd never be. Spotting 班味 on a friend after their first year on the job is both hilarious and quietly devastating.

Emerging amid China's intense '996' work culture (9am–9pm, 6 days a week) and youth unemployment pressures, 班味 captures the disillusionment of a generation that entered adulthood during economic slowdown and COVID lockdowns. It's a darkly comic acknowledgment that the grind doesn't just take your time — it colonizes your personality.

指长期上班后身上散发出的一种疲惫、麻木、失去生气的气质，像是被工作榨干的状态。