行家 hángjia connoisseur
connoisseur; expert; veteran
How to remember 行家: 行 go + 家 home = connoisseur.
Characters
How it is used
- An expert / connoisseur who knows a trade inside out - 他是行家 (tā shì hángjia) he's an old hand.
- 行 = háng (a trade/line of business); 家 is toneless jia. It stresses hands-on expertise in a field.
- Contrast 专家 (zhuānjiā, expert/specialist), which is more academic/official; 行家 is streetwise know-how.