professional / pro
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professional
A person who does a particular activity as a job and is paid for it; a professional athlete, musician, craftsperson, etc.
Er ist kein Amateur mehr, sondern verdient sein Geld als Fußball-Profi.
He is no longer an amateur; he earns his money as a professional soccer player.
'Profi' (professional / pro) is a very common shortened form in German of the longer word 'der Professionelle' (the professional). In everyday language, the short form is almost always used.
Für diese Reparatur brauchen wir einen Professionellen.
We need a professional for this repair.
In the meaning of 'profession', 'Profi' (professional) is often combined with a field to form a job title, e.g. 'Fußball-Profi' (professional soccer player), 'IT-Profi' (IT professional), or 'Musik-Profi' (music professional).
Mein Bruder arbeitet als IT-Profi in einer großen Firma.
My brother works as an IT professional in a large company.
When someone can do something especially well, they are often called a 'Profi' (pro), even if it is not their job. The phrase 'ein echter Profi' (a real pro) is a common compliment for great skill.
Wow, du hast die Wand perfekt gestrichen! Du bist ein echter Profi!
Wow, you painted the wall perfectly! You're a real pro!
master / champion
'der Meister' and 'der Profi' can both describe someone who can do something very well. 'Profi' often means that someone does an activity professionally and is paid for it. But it can also simply mean that someone is very confident and competent. 'Meister' places more emphasis on a special level: in the skilled trades, it is an official qualification, and in general it means very high ability. The words can be confused because both speak positively about ability. However, a pro does not have to be the best, and a master does not always have to earn money from it professionally.
Für die neue Küche holen die Eltern lieber einen Profi.
For the new kitchen, the parents would rather hire a professional.
Der Meister erklärt dem Kunden genau, wie die Reparatur gemacht wird.
The master craftsman explains to the customer exactly how the repair will be done.