amateurs
amateurs — 名詞
- amateurssingular
- amateursesplural
1. people who take up a hobby, sport, or creative work simply for the enjoyment it
業餘者
出於興趣而非職業者
people who take up a hobby, sport, or creative work simply for the enjoyment it brings them, rather than being paid to do it.
Minho is one of the amateurs who play violin in a local orchestra on weekends.
Minho 是週末在當地樂團拉小提琴的業餘者之一。
the + amateurs for non-professional group
The annual photography competition is open to both amateurs and seasoned professionals.
年度攝影比賽對業餘者和資深專業人士都開放報名。
both amateurs and [professionals] — contrast pair
Ayesha started as an amateur photographer, but her nature pictures soon caught an editor's attention.
Ayesha 一開始只是業餘攝影師，但她的大自然照片很快就引起了一位編輯的注意。
The community theatre group welcomes amateurs who love acting but work other day jobs.
社區劇團歡迎熱愛表演的業餘者加入，他們白天有其他正職工作。
Kabir's band is made of amateurs who practice every Thursday after work.
Kabir 的樂團成員全是業餘者，每週四下班後一起練習。
- non-professional
A direct synonym that emphasises the absence of paid status; slightly more formal.
- hobbyist
Focuses on the activity as a hobby rather than a profession; often used for crafts, photography, or computing.
- enthusiast
Puts the emphasis on strong interest and passion rather than the unpaid status.
- professional
Someone who is paid for their work and has formal training or qualifications.
文法句型
amateur + noun
the + amateurs
用法筆記
Typically used in plural form when referring to a group; the singular 'amateur' is also common. This sense carries no negative judgement — it simply describes the status of not being paid.
常見錯誤
2. people who carry out a task or activity with very little skill or experience, of
生手
缺乏經驗與技能者
people who carry out a task or activity with very little skill or experience, often producing unsatisfactory results.
The shelf was built by amateurs and fell when we put a book on it.
那層架是生手裝的，我們放書上去就垮了。
work of + amateurs / passive construction
Ramón called the opposing team amateurs after they missed three easy scoring chances.
Ramón 稱對手球隊為生手，因為他們連三次絕佳的得分機會都錯過了。
The website looked like the work of amateurs, with broken links and spelling errors everywhere.
那個網站看起來像生手做的——到處都是壞掉的連結和拼字錯誤。
Amateurs organised the event and could not handle such a big crowd, Valentina said.
那場活動是生手辦的，他們應付不了這麼多人，Valentina 說。
Those amateurs cannot even send a proper invoice without leaving out half the details.
那些生手連一張正確的報價單都開不出來，老是漏掉一半的細節。
- novice
Focuses on being new to an activity rather than lacking inherent skill; less harsh.
- beginner
Emphasises that someone has just started learning; neutral or encouraging in tone.
- dilettante
Suggests a superficial interest without commitment; more formal and literary.
- expert
Someone with deep knowledge and skill gained through training and experience.
- professional
Someone who is paid and has formal qualifications; also implies competence.
文法句型
the + amateurs
a bunch of + amateurs
work of + amateurs
用法筆記
Always derogatory in this sense — it judges the person's ability harshly. The subject is usually the product of their work (a badly built shelf, a poorly designed website) or a direct insult directed at the person.