This is the 673rd most frequent Chinese word.
班
"班" means "class" or "group."
Here, '班' means 'class', suggesting a group or cohort of students within a school or program.
我们的班上有20个学生。
There are 20 students in our class.
In this sentence, '班' is used as part of '班车', which means 'shuttle bus' or 'a scheduled route vehicle', showing an association with a fixed schedule.
我每天早上坐八点的班车。
I take the 8 AM shuttle bus every morning.
The word '班' in '班长' indicates a managing role within a defined group, often like a leader or captain.