Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 先輩せんぱい senior [Name] (used as a respectful suffix after a name)
I got some advice from senior Tanaka.
先輩せんぱい に 相談そうだん する to consult a senior (about something)
I consulted a senior about job hunting.
先輩せんぱい の 言い うことを 聞き く to listen to / heed what a senior says
New employees should first listen to what their seniors say.
先輩せんぱい として in one's capacity as a senior
I gave guidance to a junior in my role as a senior.
Expressions 先せん 輩ぱい 後こう 輩はい one's seniors and juniors; senior-junior relationship · seniority-based hierarchy; hierarchical system 人じん 生せい の 先せん 輩ぱい person older than oneself (with more life experience) 先せん 輩ぱい 風かぜ を 吹ふ かす act superior as a senior; pull rank; put on a patronizing air Related words· 7 先輩 is the everyday word for a senior colleague or classmate, while 先進 in the senior-person sense is rare, formal, and old-fashioned.
先輩 refers to anyone senior in age or experience within a group, whereas ＯＢ specifically denotes a former member who has already left the organization.
先輩 is the neutral, widely appropriate word for a senior in school or work, while 兄貴 used this way is slangier and often masculine.
先輩 refers to someone senior in experience at school or work, whereas 長老 refers to an elder with communal or religious authority, not just workplace seniority.
Show 3 more Show fewer 古参 emphasizes sheer length of tenure in a group, while 先輩 emphasizes relative seniority in age, rank, or joining order within that group.
先輩 specifically means a senior member within the same school, club, or company, while 目上 is a more general term for anyone of higher age or status.
年上 simply means older in age, while 先輩 specifically denotes a senior in school or work, based on experience rather than age.
Opposites 先輩 refers to someone senior in years or experience within a group, while 後輩 refers to a junior member of the same group.
新入社員 is a newly hired employee at the bottom of the hierarchy, while 先輩 is a senior colleague with more experience at the company.
Don't confuse with 先輩 marks someone above you in seniority, whereas 同輩 marks someone of the same rank or age, so they are easy to mix up in the 先輩・同輩・後輩 set.
先輩 means a senior colleague or upperclassman, not a teacher, though learners sometimes confuse it with 先生 because both are respectful terms of address.
Word family acting like a senior; patronizing attitude
greatly senior person; veteran
experienced mother; senior mom
Written forms 先せん 輩ぱい Usage 99%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency in news and everyday use.
センパイ Usage 1%
Etymology Composed of 先 (previous, ahead) and 輩 (comrade, fellow), literally meaning 'earlier comrade'. The reading せんぱい is a standard on'yomi combination.
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