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拖延下班
tuōyán xiàbān
stay late at work
他经常拖延下班，有时候晚上九点才离开公司。
He often stays late at work and sometimes doesn’t leave the office until 9 p.m.
informal
To remain at work beyond normal working hours due to procrastination or unfinished tasks.
因为项目赶工，他又拖延下班了。
He had to stay late at work again because of the project deadline.
她从来不拖延下班，五点准时回家。
She never stays late at work; she leaves right at 5 p.m.
Often implies reluctance to leave despite no urgent need, sometimes due to perfectionism or workplace culture.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Workplace Context
In Chinese work culture, '拖延下班' often reflects either poor time management or a high-pressure environment where employees feel obligated to stay late, even if unnecessary. It’s distinct from '加班' (jiābān, overtime work), which implies mandatory or expected extra hours.
Gold Rule
Avoid Misuse
Do not use '拖延下班' to describe someone working late due to a legitimate deadline or urgent task. Reserve it for situations where the delay is self-imposed or avoidable.
Word Origin
The phrase combines '拖延' (tuōyán, to procrastinate) and '下班' (xiàbān, to finish work). '拖延' derives from '拖' (to drag) + '延' (to delay), while '下班' means 'to get off work' (下 = down/finish, 班 = shift/work). The compound emerged in modern Chinese workplace slang to describe the behavior of staying late due to poor time management or avoidance.
Usage Notes
Common in workplaces where overtime is normalized but not strictly required. May carry a negative connotation if seen as unproductive, or neutral if due to genuine workload. Similar to 'working late' in English but emphasizes the procrastination aspect.
Word Breakdown
拖延
to procrastinate or delay
verb下班
to finish work/get off work
verb汉英词典