行家里手 (háng jiā lǐ shǒu) — connoisseur, expert (in a specific field or trade)

Definition

An experienced connoisseur or veteran in a specific trade — implies deep, hands-on mastery built over time. More colloquial and informal than the written term 专家.

noun
connoisseurexpert (in a specific field or trade)

Examples

  • 行家里手，。
    Tā shì gǔ dǒng jiàn dìng fāng miàn de háng jiā lǐ shǒu, yì yǎn jiù néng kàn chū zhēn jiǎ.
    He is an expert in antique appraisal and can tell real from fake at a glance.
  • 行家里手，。
    Zhè dào cài de zuò fǎ zhǐ yǒu háng jiā lǐ shǒu cái dǒng, yì bān rén zuò bù chū lái.
    Only a connoisseur knows how to make this dish; ordinary people can't replicate it.
  • ，行家里手。
    Zài chá yì fāng miàn, tā suàn dé shàng shì háng jiā lǐ shǒu le.
    In the art of tea, she can be considered an expert.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

行家expert in a trade
行xíngtrade家jiāspecialist
偏正Modifier + head
里手skilled person
里lǐinside手shǒuperson
偏正Modifier + head

行家 and 里手 both point to a skilled insider, so together they mean an expert.

Characters in this word

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 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

手 draws a five-fingered human hand: the top line is a bent middle finger, and the horizontal lines show the other four fingers.

Open 手 →

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