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KANJI: SENPAIN O V E M B E R 7, 2 0 17

TEACHING TUESDAY

Senpai is a word used not only in school contexts, but also in work contexts. It reflects anyone who has seniority, but is not a boss, such as a senior coworker or an upperclassman. The kanji for senpai 先輩 reflects this seniority. The first kanji, 先, means “first” or “senior”, while the second kanji 輩 in the compound is a phonetical kanji meaning someone of a certain class, in this case, a higher class when combined with the first kanji. The kanji originally referred to people of older generations, before it evolved into its current form.

Reading: せんぱい seh-n-pah-ee

Meaning: upper classman; senior (at work or school)先輩