선배 (seonbae)

What it means

1. 1.

   Someone senior to you in an institution — school, university, company — by year of entry rather than age. Its pair is 후배 (hubae), the junior.

2. 2.

   The relationship carries real obligations: the senior is expected to buy meals and give advice, the junior to be deferential and available.

   Entry year, not age, decides it. A 40-year-old who joined last year is junior to a 25-year-old who joined the year before.

Examples with translations

• 선배가 밥 사줬어.

  One of the older students bought me dinner.

• 회사 선배한테 물어봐.

  Ask someone senior at work.

Other forms

Romanised as:

seonbae