The word "下班" is formed through a direct and vivid conceptual combination: the first character "下" means "down" or "off", suggesting a movement away or a conclusion, while the second character "班" means "shift" or "duty period", referring to a scheduled block of work. Together, they create a spatial metaphor of "coming down from one's work shift", visually and notionally depicting the act of leaving or concluding the official work period for the day.