业余

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

含义

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).

例句

1. 他的职业是工程师，唱歌只是他的业余爱好。
2. 她在业余时间学习烹饪，现在已经做得很不错了。
3. 这支业余球队虽然水平不高，但大家玩得都很开心。

用法指南

语境: everyday, professional

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 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.)

错误说法

• 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)

起源与历史

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.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal