Chinese in context specially; specifically; specialized; dedicated The key thing to know Use it naturally 专门 focuses on a particular purpose, activity or function. 我专门来看你 means the visit was made specifically to see you; 这家店专门修电脑 describes its specialization. 专门的小组 is a group assigned to a particular task. The word alone does not prove expertise, affection or that no other activity is possible. Distinguish purpose from degree: 特别甜 means especially sweet, not 专门甜. Useful building blocks Common patterns do something for a particular purpose Wǒ zhuānmén lái xiàng nǐ dàoxiè. prepare something specifically for… Zhè shì zhuānmén wèi nǐ zhǔnbèi de. 专门 + business activity specialize in an activity Zhè jiā diàn zhuānmén xiū diànnǎo. dedicated or specialized… 我们安排了专门的时间讨论这个问题。 Wǒmen ānpái le zhuānmén de shíjiān tǎolùn zhège wèntí. Real situations Examples in context Nǐ shì zhuānmén lái zhǎo wǒ de ma? Did you come specifically to see me? The question asks about the purpose of the visit, not the visitor's expertise. Avoiding an unnecessary trip 你不必专门跑一趟，我们可以视频通话。 Nǐ bú bì zhuānmén pǎo yí tàng, wǒmen kěyǐ shìpín tōnghuà. You don't need to make a special trip; we can have a video call. 专门跑一趟 describes a trip made for this particular purpose. Describing a shop Zhè jiā shūdiàn zhuānmén mài wàiyǔ shū. This bookstore specializes in foreign-language books. This identifies its focus; the sentence alone is not a complete inventory of everything it sells. Assigning a task 公司成立了一个专门的小组来处理这个问题。 Gōngsī chénglì le yí ge zhuānmén de xiǎozǔ lái chǔlǐ zhège wèntí.

The company set up a dedicated group to deal with this issue. 专门的 indicates an assigned purpose, not proof of how capable the group is. Choose the right word Important comparisons 专门 highlights purpose or specialization. 特别 can mark degree or unusual qualities, and can also indicate special attention in some contexts. They are not interchangeable in every phrase. 我专门来看你。 / 这个苹果特别甜。 For making a special effort or visit, both often work. 特地 is not a general replacement for the dedicated-function meaning in 专门的小组. 我专门来道谢。 / 我特地来道谢。 专门 concerns a particular purpose or focus; 专业 concerns a field of study, specialization or professional qualities. Purpose and competence are different claims. 她专门来介绍这个项目，讲得很专业。 Sound more natural Common mistakes Using purpose to express a high degree Say this 这个苹果特别甜。 特别 can intensify sweetness; 专门 cannot serve as that degree adverb. Treating 专门 as proof of skill Avoid 他专门来修电脑，所以他一定是专家。 Say this 他专门来修电脑，但是否熟练还要看实际情况。 专门 explains why he came. It does not certify his ability. Check your understanding 0 of 3 answered 1. What does 我专门来看你 mean? I came specifically to see you. I am studying your university major. I accidentally met you. 专门 highlights the purpose of coming. 2. Which means especially sweet? 特别 marks a high degree here. 3. What does 专门的小组 emphasize? A group whose members are all experts, necessarily. A group with no purpose. A group dedicated to a particular purpose. The phrase identifies its function, not guaranteed expertise.