Learn Hardcore Chinese: tā yìbān zhōumò bú shàngbān, huì gēn jiārén chī wǔfàn. - She usually doesn't work on weekends and will have lunch with her family.

她一般周末不上班
她周末一般不上班 You can also front the time: 周末她一般不上班. Chinese often allows flexible ordering of adverbials. Frequency words like 一般/经常 frequently sit right after the subject, while time phrases like 周末 can appear either before or after them. The meaning doesn’t change; the slight emphasis does: putting 周末 earlier foregrounds the time frame, while putting 一般 earlier foregrounds the “usually” idea.

What exactly does 一般 mean here? Can it also mean something else?

Here 一般 (yìbān) means “usually/typically/normally,” describing a habitual tendency. It also has other meanings:

“ordinary/so-so”: 这家店味道一般 = “This place is just so-so.”
In set phrases: 一般来说 = “generally speaking.” Context tells you which meaning is intended.

Why is 不 pronounced bú in 不上班?

Tone sandhi: 不 (bù) changes to bú when it comes before a fourth-tone syllable. Since 上 (shàng) is fourth tone, we say bú shàngbān. Examples: 不是 bú shì, 不对 bú duì. When the next syllable is not fourth tone, it stays bù (e.g., 不忙 bù máng).

Why use 不 and not 没 here?

Use 不 for general, habitual, or future-like negation and for stating preferences/qualities: 她周末不上班 = “She doesn’t (generally) work on weekends.”
Use 没 (or 没有) to negate past or completed events: 上个周末她没上班 = “She didn’t work last weekend.” Here we’re describing a habit, so 不 is correct.

What nuance does 会 add in 会跟家人吃午饭? Can I omit it or replace it with 要?

会 here means “will/tends to,” expressing a likely or typical outcome. It fits nicely with 一般 to describe what typically happens.
You can often omit it: 她一般周末不上班，跟家人吃午饭. Omitting 会 still sounds fine and a bit more matter-of-fact.
要 would stress intention or plan: 她周末要跟家人吃午饭 suggests a decided plan, not just a general tendency. So 会 is better for “what usually happens.”

But doesn’t 会 also mean “can/know how”? How is it different from 能 and 可以?

Yes, 会 has several uses:

Learned ability: 我会游泳 = “I can (know how to) swim.”
Likelihood/prediction: 她会迟到 = “She will/ is likely to be late.” (the use in your sentence)
能 = be able to (capability/possibility due to circumstances): 我今天不能去 = “I can’t go today (circumstances prevent it).”
可以 = may/permission or possibility: 我可以走吗？= “May I leave?” So here 会 is not “know how,” but “will/likely.”

Is 跟家人 the object of 吃? Where does 跟 go, and do I need 一起?

跟家人 is not the object of 吃; it’s a companion phrase meaning “with (her) family,” placed before the verb. The true object of 吃 is 午饭. Pattern: 跟 + person + V + object.
You can add 一起 to emphasize “together”: 会跟家人一起吃午饭. Without 一起 it’s still clear and natural.

What’s the difference between 跟 and 和 (and 与)?

跟 and 和 both commonly mean “with/and.” 跟 is a bit more colloquial; 和 is neutral.
与 is more formal/written.
All three can mark companionship in many contexts, but in everyday speech 跟/和 are far more common: 会跟/和家人吃午饭.

What’s the difference between 上班 and 工作?

上班 = “to be on duty / go to work (for a shift).” It’s about being scheduled/at the workplace. 周末不上班 = “not scheduled to work on weekends.”
工作 (verb) = “to work (do work).” 周末不工作 could imply she doesn’t do any work at all on weekends (even at home).
As a noun, 工作 = “job/work.”

Why 午饭 and not 午餐 or 中饭? Do I need a measure word like 顿?

午饭 = everyday, colloquial “lunch.”
午餐 = more formal/polished “lunch” (often on menus, in formal contexts).
中饭 = commonly used in Taiwan for “lunch.”
No measure word is needed in 吃午饭. If you want to count a meal, use 顿: 吃一顿午饭. Colloquially, people also say 吃个饭; 吃个午饭 is heard but 吃一顿午饭 is more standard for counting meals.

Does 家人 mean “family” or “family members”? Do I need 她的?

家人 means “family members.” It usually refers to one’s close relatives, often those living together. In context, 跟家人 is understood as “with her family (members).” You can add 她的 for clarity or contrast: 跟她的家人吃午饭. If context already makes the possessor clear, omitting 她的 is normal.

Can I add 都 to emphasize “every weekend”?

Yes. 都 can emphasize “all (of the relevant times).” For example:

她周末一般都不上班 = “On weekends she generally doesn’t work (pretty much every weekend).”
她周末一般都会跟家人吃午饭 = “She will (pretty much every weekend) eat lunch with her family.”
Use 都 when there’s a plural set in context (here, multiple weekends).

Why not say 周末不在上班? When do I use 在上班?

在上班 is used for a current, ongoing state (“be at work right now”): 我现在在上班 = “I’m at work now.”
For habits or schedules, use 上班 without 在: 她周末不上班 = “She doesn’t (normally) work on weekends.” So 周末不在上班 sounds odd for a habitual statement.

Can I start with 周末 or add a connector like 然后?

Yes. Time-fronting is common: 周末，她一般不上班，会跟家人吃午饭。
A simple comma in Chinese often connects related clauses. If you want to make sequence explicit, you can add 然后/而且/并且:

她一般周末不上班，然后会跟家人吃午饭。

Why is 一 in 一般 pronounced yì rather than yī or yí?

Tone sandhi for 一:

Before a 4th-tone syllable, 一 becomes yí (2nd tone): 一个 yí ge.
Before 1st/2nd/3rd tones, 一 becomes yì (4th tone): 一般 yìbān, 一起 yìqǐ, 一年 yìnián.
As a standalone number or in careful counting, it’s yī (1st tone).

In speech, is 她 different from 他?

In pronunciation, 她 (she), 他 (he), and 它 (it) are all tā. The difference exists only in writing. Context tells you which one is meant in speech.