sempai
English
Alternative forms
- senpai
Etymology
Japanese 先輩 (せんぱい senpai), from Middle Chinese 先 (sen "first", "former") + 輩 (bìj "generation").
Pronunciation
- (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈsɛmpaɪ/
Noun
sempai (plural sempais)
- Senior member of a group in Japanese arts; mentor.
Usage notes
Use in English may carry humorous or affectionate connotations. This is possibly due to (assumed) reference to modern Japanese media, or possibly a lexical gap.
Antonyms
- kohai