我今天要加班
wǒ jīntiān yào jiābān
I have to work overtime today
我今天要加班 (wǒ jīntiān yào jiābān) means “I have to work overtime today.” It's a very common phrase used in office settings to explain why one might be busy or unavailable.
What does 我今天要加班 (wǒ jīntiān yào jiābān) mean?
我今天要加班 (wǒ jīntiān yào jiābān) means “I have to work overtime today” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “I today need to work overtime.”
When to use it
Neutral and direct. It's a common way to state a work obligation. If you want to express that you “don't want to” but “have to,” the 要 (yào) already implies a certain necessity.
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “wuh jeen-TYEN YOW jyah-BAN.” The tones are third, first, fourth, first, first.
Other ways to say it
- 我经常加班wǒ jīngcháng jiābānI often work overtime
- 他昨天加班了tā zuótiān jiābān leHe worked overtime yesterday
Examples
我今天要加班，所以不能和你一起吃饭了。
wǒ jīntiān yào jiābān, suǒyǐ bù néng hé nǐ yīqǐ chīfàn le.
I have to work overtime today, so I can't eat with you.
你经常加班吗？
nǐ jīngcháng jiābān ma?
Do you often work overtime?
老板说我今天要加班。
lǎobǎn shuō wǒ jīntiān yào jiābān.
The boss said I have to work overtime today.
Pro tip: 加班 (jiābān) literally means “add shift” and is a key term in any Chinese workplace. It's often used with time expressions like 昨天 (zuótiān, yesterday) or 明天 (míngtiān, tomorrow).
Related phrases
我明天出差 · I'm on a business trip tomorrow我请一天假 · I'm taking a day off辛苦大家了 · Thank you all for your hard work
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