行家

• Pinyin: háng jia
• Hanzi breakdown: 行 = crossroads pictograph — indicates movement/trade; 家 = 宀 (roof) + 豕 (pig) — household, expert in a domain

Meaning

Expert; connoisseur — a person who has deep practical knowledge and professional mastery in a particular trade, craft, or field.

Unlike 专家 (academic expert/specialist), 行家 emphasises practical, hands-on mastery typically accumulated through years of experience rather than formal education. Common in antique appraisal, business, crafts, and trade contexts. 行家里手 (skilled practitioner) intensifies the meaning. The character 行 here is pronounced háng (trade/profession), not xíng (to walk).

Examples

1. 这位古玩行家只需粗略翻看一眼，便能判断出一件瓷器的年代、窑口和大致市场价值。 With just a quick glance, this antiques expert can tell the approximate age, kiln origin, and market value of a piece of porcelain.
2. 公司在招募新的供应链负责人时，着重考察应聘者是否具有真正的行家经验，而非单纯看重学历背景。 When recruiting a new head of supply chain, the company focused on whether candidates had real hands-on expertise, rather than simply valuing academic credentials.
3. 真正的行家在选购食材时往往比普通消费者更为挑剔，他们能够从细微差异中辨别出品质的高下。 True connoisseurs are often pickier than the average shopper when buying ingredients, able to distinguish quality from subtle differences.

Usage Guide

Context: business, antiques, trade, crafts, evaluation

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 在这个行业摸爬滚打了二十年，他早已从一个门外汉成长为众人公认的行家里手。(Having worked his way through twenty years in this industry, he has long since grown from a complete outsider into a widely recognised expert practitioner.)
• 收藏界的行家普遍认为，此次拍卖会上出现了几件难得一见的精品，其市场价格远低于实际价值。(Connoisseurs in the collecting world generally believe that several rare fine pieces appeared at this auction, with their market prices far below their actual value.)

Don't Say

• 行家 as a polite direct form of address — 行家 is a third-person description; saying 行家，请问一下... sounds awkward; when addressing someone directly use 老师 or 您好

Origin & History

行 (trade, industry, profession) + 家 (family, specialist, one who excels) — a master of the trade

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal