Key Facts
- Hangul: 후배; Revised Romanization: hubae
- Syllables: 2
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Hanja: 後輩 (後 later + 輩 peer/generation)
- Register: Neutral; used for someone who entered the school/company/field after you.
Junior in Korean: What Does 후배 Mean?
The senses are a junior in school or at work and a junior in the same field. The register is neutral. The key idea is order of entry. A 후배 is a person who arrived later than you, whatever their age. This is why an older student who started a year after you is still your 후배. The word belongs to a pair with 선배, the person who came before you, and that relationship is a real part of Korean school and workplace life.
How Do You Pronounce 후배?
Two syllables, hu-bae. The first has a soft h and a rounded oo vowel. The second, bae, uses the ae vowel, similar to the e in bed. There is no final consonant, so the word glides straight into the particle: 후배가 is said hu-bae-ga and 후배와 is said hu-bae-wa.
Example Sentences with 후배
후배가 인사해요.
Hubaega insahaeyo.
My junior is greeting me.
The speaker says the junior greets them, which hints at the respect pattern of the pair. 인사해요 is the polite verb for greeting.
저는 후배와 점심을 먹어요.
Jeoneun hubaewa jeomsimeul meogeoyo.
I eat lunch with my junior.
The particle 와 means with. Lunch with a junior is a common social situation, and 먹어요 is the verb for eating.
회사 후배가 많아요.
Hoesa hubaega manayo.
I have many juniors at work.
The compound 회사 후배 names the workplace as the setting. 많아요 says there are many, so the speaker has plenty of juniors.
Common Phrases and Collocations
The collocations name the setting, university or work, and a verb for taking care of a junior.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 대학 후배 | university junior |
| 회사 후배 | work junior |
| 후배를 챙기다 | to look after one's junior |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 후배 means a younger person.
Correct: ✓ 후배 means someone who entered later than you.
Why: Learners connect 후배 with age. It is about entering later, not being younger, so a classmate who is older but started after you is still a 후배.
후배 Compared with Similar Words
Two words give the other side of the relationship and a rank-based alternative.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 후배 | junior (in school/work); one's junior in the same field | The word on this page. |
| 선배 | senior | The senior counterpart. |
| 부하 | subordinate | A subordinate with lower rank, which is about position, not entry order. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
후배 is Sino-Korean. The hanja 後輩 combine 後, later, and 輩, peer or generation.
Introducing a University Junior
Two coworkers are looking at a photo. One recognizes someone from university and explains the relationship.
Alex
이분은 누구예요?
Ibuneun nuguyeyo?
Who is this person?
Jisu
제 대학 후배예요.
Je daehak hubaeyeyo.
They’re my junior from university.
Alex
같은 과였어요?
Gateun gwayeosseoyo?
Were you in the same department?
Jisu
네, 저보다 한 학년 아래였어요.
Ne, jeoboda han hangnyeon araeyeosseoyo.
Yes, they were one year below me.
제 means “my”, and 대학 names the setting in which the relationship exists. 한 학년 아래 means one academic year below. The speakers establish a university connection; they have not said that the person in the photo is younger in age.
How Do People Describe the Connection?
학교 후배 means a junior from one’s school, and 직장 후배 means a junior at work. The word before 후배 tells the listener which shared institution creates the relationship. Without that information, “my junior” may leave an unfamiliar listener wondering whether you mean school, work or another field.
선후배 combines the two sides, seniors and juniors, in one word. 선후배 사이 means a senior–junior relationship. In a drama, that phrase may explain why two characters know each other or why one uses a respectful title. It identifies a connection; it does not establish that the two people are friends.
후배를 챙기다 means looking after a junior. 챙기다 can cover practical care, such as including someone in lunch plans or helping them settle into work. The phrase does not automatically mean supervising them. A senior can help a junior without being their manager.
What Should You Call a 후배?
후배 is useful when describing someone to another person. Calling a person simply “후배” to their face can sound distant or as if you are emphasizing their lower seniority. In a workplace introduction, follow the person’s name or the title people actually use there. Relationship vocabulary and forms of address have different jobs.
Being someone’s 선배 does not make casual speech automatic. An older 후배, a formal workplace or a first meeting may call for polite speech. Age, closeness and local expectations all affect the choice. The entry order tells you who is the 후배; it does not settle every question of how to speak to them.
Where Will You Hear 후배?
후배 appears often in university stories, workplace talk and interviews with people in the same profession. An actor can call another actor a 후배 because they entered the profession later. They do not have to share a company or have worked together on the same production.
In English, a “junior” can also mean a particular school year or part of a job title. 후배 needs a relationship to someone who entered earlier. For a school year, give the year directly; for a position, use the actual job title. A random younger stranger is not your 후배 simply because of age.
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 선배 | senior | Entered the shared school, workplace or field earlier. |
| 동기 | member of the same intake | Entered in the same cohort or recruitment group. |
| 동료 | colleague / peer | Works alongside someone, without specifying entry order. |
| 신입 사원 | new employee | Describes new-hire status rather than a personal relationship. |
The relationships vocabulary lesson expands the words for how people are connected. 동기 is especially useful beside 후배 because it adds the third possibility: entering together.
Quick Self-Test
- Can a 후배 be older than their 선배?
- Does 후배 necessarily mean someone you manage?
- Which word describes someone from the same intake?
Show answers
- Yes. Entry order and age are separate.
- No. It describes seniority in a shared setting.
- 동기.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "junior" in Korean?
A junior in school or at work is 후배 (hubae).
Does 후배 mean a younger person?
No. It means someone who entered the school, company or field after you.
What is the opposite of 후배?
The counterpart is 선배, the senior.
How do you say "I have many juniors at work"?
Say 회사 후배가 많아요.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Korean relationships vocabulary groups 후배 with related words.
- Index: look up more words near "junior" in Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 후배 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next word in the list: middle aged woman.
- Compare with the page for senior, the other half of the pair.