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内行 (nèi háng) — (adjective) expert, experienced, knowledgeable in a specific field; (noun) an expert, a professional

Definition

内行 stresses hands-on experience in a specific field, used as both adjective and noun. Pairs naturally with 外行 ('layperson/amateur') as its opposite; 行家 is a near-synonym noun for 'connoisseur.'

adjective
expert, experienced, knowledgeable in a specific field
noun
an experta professional
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 内行。
    Tā duì pēng rèn fēi cháng nèi háng.
    He is very experienced in cooking.
  • ，内行。
    Zài zhè jiàn shì shàng, tā suàn shì gè nèi háng.
    In this matter, he counts as an expert.
  • 内行，。
    Xiū lǐ qì chē yào zhǎo gè nèi háng, bú yào zì jǐ luàn nòng.
    To fix a car, you need to find an expert; don't mess with it yourself.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

内nèiinside
行xíngtrade

"内" means inside and "行" means trade, suggesting someone well inside a field.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 入入rùto enter
  • 冂冂jiōnghouse

The shape shows 入 entering into 冂, a house, so it pictures bringing something indoors, giving the sense inside.

Open 内 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 彳彳chì
  • 亍亍chù

The shape of 行 originally showed a street intersection, even on both sides. Later it became uneven, with 彳 on the left and 亍 on the right.

Open 行 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Professions & Jobs

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