非专业 (fēi zhuān yè) — non-professional, amateur

Definition

Non-professional / amateur, used to contrast with 专业. Often implies (or highlights) skill outside a formal training context — a 非专业 人士 may still be highly capable.

adjective
non-professionalamateur

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā suī rán shì fēi zhuān yè rén shì, dàn shuǐ píng hěn gāo.
    Although he is a non-professional, his skill level is very high.
  • 非专业。
    Zhè ge fēi zhuān yè tuán duì qǔ dé le jīng rén de chéng jì.
    This non-professional team achieved amazing results.
  • ，。
    Tā de biǎo yǎn shì fēi zhuān yè de, què yíng dé le guān zhòng de zhǎng shēng.
    His performance was non-professional, yet it won the audience's applause.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
前缀qiánzhuìPrefix

A fixed syllable in front that adds a shade of meaning but carries none of its own.

非fēinot
专业professional
专zhuānspecial业yèprofession
偏正Modifier + head

“非” says not and “专业” means professional, giving non-professional.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 非 is drawn from two wings facing opposite directions. It later came to be used for going against or not being.

Open 非 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 專; 专 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 專 shows 又, a hand, turning 叀, a spindle; this came to mean gathering several things into one.

Open 专 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 業; 业 is its simplified writing.

  • 丵丵zhuóchisel
  • 大大dàperson; big

The traditional 業 is explained as a picture of a beam from which bells and chimes hang, or as a person lifting that beam. The simplified 业 is a shorthand, not the original shape.

Open 业 →

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