业余

• Pinyin: yè yú
• Hanzi breakdown: 业 = pictograph of a music or work frame, meaning profession or industry; 余 = 人 (person) + 食 (food), surplus or remainder

Meaning

Amateur; leisure; spare-time. Describes something done outside of one's profession, or done for enjoyment rather than payment.

Used to distinguish unpaid, hobby-based activity from professional work. 业余爱好 (hobby/pastime) and 业余时间 (free time/leisure time) are very common collocations. Can also imply a lack of expertise or professionalism: 这个水平太业余了 (the standard is too amateurish).

Examples

1. 他的职业是工程师，唱歌只是他的业余爱好。 His job is as an engineer — singing is just his hobby.
2. 她在业余时间学习烹饪，现在已经做得很不错了。 She has been learning cooking in her spare time and has already become quite good at it.
3. 这支业余球队虽然水平不高，但大家玩得都很开心。 Although this amateur football team is not very skilled, everyone has a great time.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, professional

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 画画只是他的业余爱好，他的本职是一名律师。(Painting is just his hobby — his main occupation is being a lawyer.)
• 她用业余时间学习日语，进步很快。(She uses her spare time to study Japanese and is making rapid progress.)

Don't Say

• 把'业余'用来侮辱他人的努力 (Be careful when using 业余 to describe someone's work — while it can neutrally mean amateur, it can also imply their work is substandard, which may cause offence)

Origin & History

A compound of 业 (profession/industry, originally a pictograph of a work frame) and 余 (surplus/remainder, from 人 person + 食 food). Together they suggest time or activity beyond one's main occupation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal