Senpai (先輩): meaning, kouhai, and the meme
先輩
せんぱい · senpai
A senpai is someone who started before you at the same school, club or workplace. You can address them as "Senpai!" instead of using their name.
Word by word
| 先 | せん | before, ahead |
| 輩 | ぱい | fellow, companion |
Who is the senpai?
Your junior is your 後輩 (kouhai). The kouhai is expected to speak politely and help out; the senpai looks after them. What counts is who joined first, regardless of age.
The title follows a name. In Spy x Family, Yor’s coworkers call her ヨル先輩, "Yor-senpai".
Where "notice me, senpai" comes from
The English meme draws on school romance anime: a younger student wants an older one to notice them. Senpai itself has no romantic meaning in Japanese.
More examples
- 先輩、お疲れ様です！ senpai, otsukaresama desu! — Good work today, senpai!
- 彼は部活の後輩です。 kare wa bukatsu no kouhai desu. — He's my junior in the club.
Hear it in real scenes
In Animei you watch anime with Japanese subtitles, tap any word for its reading and meaning, and keep it as a flashcard with the clip it came from.
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