Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[relaxation07]

Dear all,

I wonder if 'by training' and 'by trade' mean the same. For instance, can I say "He is a sociologist by traning," and "She is a teacher by trade," to refer to their occupations and to state that they are qualified?

Many Thanks.

[battlecryorsilence]

The two phrases are slightly different. �Trade� is a noun meaning �occupation�, with the implication that one receives one�s income or otherwise sustains oneself via that occupation. In contrast, �training� may mean either occupational training or educational training � one may be something (e.g. a teacher, or a sociologist) �by training�, yet still not earn an income via that field.
You would be understood by a native speaker if you were to say that a person is, e.g. "a sociologist by training", but the common idiomatic phrase is �by trade.�

Examples:
She is a carpenter by trade.
My father is a salesman by trade.
My mother is a linguistics professor by trade.

We can also use one or both phrases to emphasize a distinction between two different activities:
I am a linguist by training, but a bartender by trade. (Such a sentence means: I have the educational training of a linguist, but I don�t have a job as a linguist, so I pay my rent and bills with income from bartending.)
She�s a real estate agent by trade, but her real passion is playwriting. (Means: she earns her income as a real estate agent, but would rather be writing plays for a living.)

I hope I've answered your question.