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.
pro
A person who is very skilled and competent in a particular field, regardless of whether they do it professionally.
Was das Kochen angeht, ist meine Mutter ein echter Profi.
When it comes to cooking, my mother is a real pro.
'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
Meister and Profi can both refer to someone who is very good at something. Meister particularly emphasizes a high degree of mastery. Profi also refers to a highly competent person, but can additionally indicate that they do the activity professionally and are paid for it.
Karim arbeitet bezahlt als Porträtfotograf und ist ein erfahrener Profi.
Karim works as a paid portrait photographer and is an experienced professional.
Obwohl Karim nur in seiner Freizeit fotografiert, ist er ein Meister der Porträtfotografie.
Although Karim only takes photographs in his free time, he is a master of portrait photography.
