The German word for professional (the noun) is der Profi.

Profi in German is the common shorthand for "Professional." It is used to describe someone who does something for a living—like an athlete or a musician—or simply someone who is an expert at what they do. If you need to hire someone because you can't fix the sink yourself, you are looking for a Profi. It's one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, too!

And yes, it is related to the adjective professionell (which describes how someone acts), but Profi is the person themselves.

Gender and Pronunciation

It’s a masculine noun: der Profi.

Need a better way to lock in gender rules? This video lesson makes it easy.

Pronunciation: Profi is pronounced [PRO-fee]

• “PRO” like "pro" (long 'o' sound)
• “fi” like "fee" (as in coffee)
• Two syllables: PRO-fi

Example sentences

Er ist ein echter Profi. He is a real professional.

Wir sollten einen Profi fragen. We should ask a professional.

Sie arbeitet wie ein Profi. She works like a professional.

How does this word come up in real conversations?

"Dafür brauchen wir einen Profi." We need a professional for that.

"Lass das lieber den Profi machen." Better let the professional do that.

"Ich bin kein Profi, aber das sieht falsch aus." I’m not a professional, but that looks wrong.

Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)

Anna: Kannst du mein Auto reparieren? 

Markus: Nein, ich habe keine Ahnung davon. 

Anna: Okay, dann rufe ich einen Profi an. 

Markus: Das ist wahrscheinlich besser.

Translation:

Anna: Can you repair my car?

Markus: No, I have no idea about that.

Anna: Okay, then I’ll call a professional.

Markus: That’s probably better.

Grammatical case examples

Nominative: Der Profi hat das Werkzeug dabei. The professional has the tools with him.

Accusative: Ich habe den Profi gestern angerufen. I called the professional yesterday.

Dative: Ich vertraue dem Profi voll und ganz. I trust the professional completely.

Genitive: Der Rat des Profis war sehr hilfreich. The professional’s advice was very helpful.

Other ways to say professional in German

While Profi is the most versatile noun, you will also hear der Fachmann (the expert/specialist) or der Experte (the expert).

Important Note on the Adjective: If you want to describe behavior (e.g., "She is very professional"), you use the adjective professionell.

• Example: "Das war sehr professionell." (That was very professional.)

Word variations and tidbits

You’ll hear Vollprofi (consummate professional), Medienprofi (someone good with the media), and Profisportler (professional athlete). A common idiom is "wie ein Profi" (like a pro), used when someone does something skillfully.

📘 Duden entry for Profi