值班
zhí bān · HSK 5
to work a shift
⏰ 值 = worth/duty + 班 = shift/class; literally 'duty-shift'
值 means value or being on duty; 班 means a shift, team, or class period. Together 值班 = take one's turn on a shift, i.e. be on duty. Common for nurses, guards, and office on-call rotations.
值 — person radical 亻 + 直 (straight/upright)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The person radical 亻 gives the meaning, while 直 (straight, upright) supplies the sound zhí. Originally referring to a person standing in for duty or watch, it extended to mean 'worth,' 'value,' and 'to be on duty.'
班 — two jade 玨 + knife 刂 in the middle
班 originally depicted a knife (刂) dividing a pair of jade pieces (玨), showing the act of splitting jade between people. From this 'dividing' sense it came to mean 'distribute,' then 'a group formed by division,' giving modern meanings like class, team, or shift.