Key Facts
- Hangul: 선배; Revised Romanization: seonbae
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean (先輩)
- Register: Neutral to polite; add 님 for extra respect.
Senior in Korean: What Does 선배 Mean?
선배 means a person who entered the same school, workplace or field earlier than you. The idea is order of arrival, so it covers a university senior, a work colleague who started first and an elder in a hobby club. Adding 님 gives 선배님, a more respectful form. The partner word is 후배, the junior, and the pair describes a relationship, not a job title.
How Do You Pronounce 선배?
Two syllables: seon-bae. The first vowel ㅓ is a relaxed open o, with the mouth wider than for English "saw" and the lips unrounded. The ㄴ closes the syllable and the lips close right away for ㅂ, so say the two as one connected stretch, seon-bae, with no pause between them.
Example Sentences with 선배
선배는 친절해요.
Seonbaeneun chinjeolhaeyo.
My senior is kind.
A simple description. 선배는 is the topic of the sentence, and 친절해요 gives the opinion.
선배에게 물어봤어요.
Seonbaege mureobwasseoyo.
I asked my senior.
에게 marks the person you asked. 물어봤어요 is a past form, so you have already put the question to your senior.
회사 선배가 도와줬어요.
Hoesa seonbaega dowajwosseoyo.
A senior from work helped me.
회사 before 선배 says which kind of senior: someone from work. The past verb 도와줬어요 tells you the help is done.
Phrases and Collocations with 선배
The partners add the setting in front of 선배, and 선배님 raises the respect. Each tells the listener where the seniority comes from.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 대학 선배 | university senior |
| 회사 선배 | work senior |
| 선배님 | senior (honorific) |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 선배 means an older person.
Correct: ✓ 선배 is someone who joined before you.
Why: Age and seniority often match, but 선배 is about who entered the school or company first. A younger person who started earlier can be your 선배, and an older newcomer is not.
선배 Compared with Similar Words
Two words sit near 선배: its mirror image and a word that comes from rank, not timing.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 후배 | junior | The counterpart: someone who entered after you. |
| 상사 | superior at work | Based on rank and authority; 선배 is based on how long ago someone joined. |
Where Does 선배 Come From?
선배 is Sino-Korean, written 先輩: 先 means earlier and 輩 means peer or generation. So the word literally says "an earlier peer", which matches the meaning of arriving first.
At University: Asking a Senior for Help
A new student is trying to find a classroom. The student addresses someone from the same department who enrolled a year earlier.
New student
선배님, 강의실이 어디예요?
Seonbaenim, gang-uisiri eodiyeyo?
Where is the classroom?
Senior
이 층에 있어요. 같이 가요.
I cheunge isseoyo. Gachi gayo.
It is on this floor. Let’s go together.
New student
감사해요. 저는 아직 학교가 낯설어요.
Gamsahaeyo. Jeoneun ajik hakgyoga natseoreoyo.
Thank you. The campus still feels unfamiliar to me.
Senior
괜찮아요. 궁금한 게 있으면 물어보세요.
Gwaenchanayo. Gunggeumhan ge isseumyeon mureoboseyo.
That’s okay. Ask me if you have any questions.
The student uses 선배님 to get the senior’s attention before asking the question. There is no need to translate “you” separately. The title itself identifies the listener, and the polite ending keeps the request friendly and respectful.
Using 선배 as a Title
You can address a school senior as 선배님 without knowing their name. Among people who know each other well, 선배 alone can sound natural too. Follow how people in that group address one another; a drama character’s familiar 선배 does not tell you how close two real classmates are.
A person can be your 선배 in one setting and your 후배 in another. Someone who entered university before you may join your company after you. Add 학교, “school”, or 회사, “company”, when the setting is unclear. The relationship depends on the shared institution or field.
At work, a job title may be the usual way to address someone. If your department calls a manager 팀장님, use that title when speaking to them. Describing someone as a 회사 선배 explains their relationship to you, but does not automatically replace their workplace title.
Phrases You Will Hear in Campus Talk and Dramas
학교 선배 means a senior from your school. It can describe someone who has already graduated, so English “upperclassman” can be too narrow. A former student giving career advice can still be a 학교 선배 even though they no longer attend classes.
선후배 combines the two sides: seniors and juniors. 선후배 관계 means the relationship between them. You may hear it when people explain how they know each other. It gives a social connection without saying that the two people are close friends or relatives.
인생 선배 literally means a “senior in life”. It describes someone with more life experience who can offer advice. This extends the usual school or work meaning, so listen for 인생 before deciding that the speakers attended the same university.
There is no gender built into 선배. Both men and women can use it for a senior of any gender. That makes it different from family-style address words whose choice depends on the speaker and listener.
Related Relationship Words
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 후배 | junior | Joined the shared school, workplace or field later. |
| 동기 | person in the same intake | Started at the same time, such as the same university year. |
| 동료 | colleague | Describes working together without specifying who started first. |
| 상사 | work superior | Has authority over you in the workplace. |
The relationships vocabulary lesson puts these labels beside family and friendship words. When introducing a person, choose the relationship you want the listener to understand: shared intake, shared work, seniority or authority.
Quick Self-Test
- A younger classmate enrolled before you. Can they be your 선배?
- What does 선후배 관계 describe?
- Which word describes someone from the same intake?
Show answers
- Yes. Entry order matters here, rather than age.
- The relationship between seniors and juniors.
- 동기.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say senior in Korean?
Say 선배 (seonbae). It means someone who entered your school, company or field before you.
Does 선배 mean someone older than me?
Not exactly. It is about who entered first, though the two often go together.
How do you make 선배 more respectful?
Add 님 to get 선배님, which adds extra respect.
What is the opposite of 선배?
The opposite is 후배, the junior who joined later.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: relationships vocabulary groups it with other words for relationships.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in the list: the page for junior covers the counterpart.