amateur
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amateur
A person who does an activity, especially a sport, as a hobby and not as a profession, and does not receive money for it.
Obwohl er nur ein Amateur ist, spielt er Tennis auf einem sehr hohen Niveau.
Although he is only an amateur, he plays tennis at a very high level.
The meaning depends heavily on the context. If it is about sports or an unpaid hobby, the word is neutral. But if poor quality of work or an action is being criticized, it has a negative meaning.
Er ist ein passionierter Amateur-Fotograf. (neutral)
He is a passionate amateur photographer. (neutral)
In its neutral meaning, 'Amateur' (amateur) is often the first part of compound nouns, especially in sports. Examples are 'der Amateursport' (amateur sports), 'die Amateurliga' (amateur league), or 'der Amateurvertrag' (amateur contract).
Die Regeln im Amateursport sind oft anders als bei den Profis.
The rules in amateur sports are often different from those for professionals.
When 'Amateur' (amateur) is used derogatorily, it describes a person as unprofessional or incompetent. It often appears in an exclamation of disappointment or criticism.
So ein Fehler darf einem Profi nicht passieren, das ist was für Amateure.
A professional shouldn't make a mistake like that; that's amateur stuff.
expert
'der Experte' and 'der Amateur' are often opposites. An 'Experte' has a lot of knowledge and strong skills in a field. An 'Amateur' often does something as a hobby and not professionally. Sometimes 'Amateur' also means that someone has little experience or seems clumsy; that can sound derogatory. The words can be confusing because 'Amateur' does not always mean 'bad'. An amateur can be very good, but they are not a professional. Compared with 'Experte', 'Amateur' tends to emphasize the lack of a specialist role, lack of professional status, or less experience.
Maria fotografiert nur als Amateurin, aber ihre Bilder sind sehr schön.
Maria only takes photos as an amateur, but her pictures are very beautiful.
Bei diesem Problem vertraut der Arzt einem Experten für seltene Krankheiten.
With this problem, the doctor trusts an expert on rare diseases.