See senpai in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"antonyms": [
{
"word": "kohai"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ja",
"3": "-"
},
"expansion": "Borrowed from Japanese",
"name": "bor+"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "先%輩",
"2": "せん%ぱい"
},
"expansion": "先(せん)輩(ぱい) (senpai)",
"name": "ja-r"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "sunbae"
},
"expansion": "Doublet of sunbae",
"name": "dbt"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Borrowed from Japanese 先(せん)輩(ぱい) (senpai). Doublet of sunbae.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "senpais",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "senpai",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "+",
"2": "senpai"
},
"expansion": "senpai (plural senpais or senpai)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "60 40",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1974, Thomas P. Rohlen, For Harmony and Strength: Japanese White-Collar Organization in Anthropological Perspective, University of California Press, →ISBN, page 131:",
"text": "Senpai are also known to intercede on behalf of their kohai to explain their mistakes.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2022, Marc Helmold, Ayşe Küçük Yılmaz, Triant Flouris, Thomas Winner, Violeta Cvetkoska, Tracy Dathe, Lean Management, Kaizen, Kata and Keiretsu: Best-Practice Examples and Industry Insights from Japanese Concepts, Springer, →ISBN, page 57:",
"text": "They usually act as a mentor for kōhai, although in reality not all senpai are as generous or genuine about mentoring junior colleagues.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2022, Alex W. Tong, The Science and Philosophy of Martial Arts: Exploring the Connections Between the Cognitive, Physical, and Spiritual Aspects of Martial Arts, Blue Snake Books, →ISBN, page 203:",
"text": "Many senpai attend the same dōjō for decades.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"The senior member of a group in Japanese arts; a mentor."
],
"id": "en-senpai-en-noun-RuFvWbd9",
"links": [
[
"senior",
"senior"
],
[
"member",
"member"
],
[
"group",
"group"
],
[
"mentor",
"mentor"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Japanese fiction",
"orig": "en:Japanese fiction",
"parents": [
"Fiction",
"Japan",
"Artistic works",
"Asia",
"Art",
"Earth",
"Eurasia",
"Culture",
"Nature",
"Society",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "11 89",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "10 90",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Entries with translation boxes",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "11 89",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 2 entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "8 92",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "17 83",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Korean translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "12 88",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "0 100",
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Education",
"orig": "en:Education",
"parents": [
"Society",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "41 59",
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "People",
"orig": "en:People",
"parents": [
"Human",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "4 96",
"kind": "place",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Japan",
"orig": "en:Japan",
"parents": [
"Asia",
"Earth",
"Eurasia",
"Nature",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"An upperclassman or elder student, in the context of Japan."
],
"id": "en-senpai-en-noun-yS5pccSC",
"links": [
[
"anime",
"anime"
],
[
"manga",
"manga"
],
[
"fandom",
"fandom"
],
[
"slang",
"slang"
],
[
"upperclassman",
"upperclassman"
],
[
"elder",
"elder"
],
[
"student",
"student"
],
[
"Japan",
"Japan"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(anime and manga, fandom slang) An upperclassman or elder student, in the context of Japan."
],
"tags": [
"slang"
],
"topics": [
"anime",
"broadcasting",
"comics",
"film",
"lifestyle",
"literature",
"manga",
"media",
"publishing",
"television"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "5 95",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "xuéjiě",
"sense": "upperclassman or elder student, in the context of Japan",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "學姐 /学姐"
},
{
"_dis1": "5 95",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "xuézhǎng",
"sense": "upperclassman or elder student, in the context of Japan",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "學長 /学长"
},
{
"_dis1": "5 95",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "senpai",
"sense": "upperclassman or elder student, in the context of Japan",
"word": "先輩"
},
{
"_dis1": "5 95",
"code": "ko",
"lang": "Korean",
"roman": "senppai",
"sense": "upperclassman or elder student, in the context of Japan",
"word": "센빠이"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈsɛnpaɪ/",
"tags": [
"UK",
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈsɛmpaɪ/",
"tags": [
"UK",
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "[ˈsɛnpaɪ̯]",
"tags": [
"UK",
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "[ˈsɛmpaɪ̯]",
"tags": [
"UK",
"US"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-senpai.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a2/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-senpai.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-senpai.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a2/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-senpai.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-senpai.wav.ogg"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "sempai"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"senpai"
],
"word": "senpai"
}
{
"antonyms": [
{
"word": "kohai"
}
],
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English doublets",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English indeclinable nouns",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English nouns with irregular plurals",
"English terms borrowed from Japanese",
"English terms derived from Japanese",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 2 entries",
"Pages with entries",
"Terms with Japanese translations",
"Terms with Korean translations",
"Terms with Mandarin translations",
"en:Education",
"en:Japan",
"en:People"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ja",
"3": "-"
},
"expansion": "Borrowed from Japanese",
"name": "bor+"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "先%輩",
"2": "せん%ぱい"
},
"expansion": "先(せん)輩(ぱい) (senpai)",
"name": "ja-r"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "sunbae"
},
"expansion": "Doublet of sunbae",
"name": "dbt"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Borrowed from Japanese 先(せん)輩(ぱい) (senpai). Doublet of sunbae.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "senpais",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "senpai",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "+",
"2": "senpai"
},
"expansion": "senpai (plural senpais or senpai)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1974, Thomas P. Rohlen, For Harmony and Strength: Japanese White-Collar Organization in Anthropological Perspective, University of California Press, →ISBN, page 131:",
"text": "Senpai are also known to intercede on behalf of their kohai to explain their mistakes.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2022, Marc Helmold, Ayşe Küçük Yılmaz, Triant Flouris, Thomas Winner, Violeta Cvetkoska, Tracy Dathe, Lean Management, Kaizen, Kata and Keiretsu: Best-Practice Examples and Industry Insights from Japanese Concepts, Springer, →ISBN, page 57:",
"text": "They usually act as a mentor for kōhai, although in reality not all senpai are as generous or genuine about mentoring junior colleagues.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2022, Alex W. Tong, The Science and Philosophy of Martial Arts: Exploring the Connections Between the Cognitive, Physical, and Spiritual Aspects of Martial Arts, Blue Snake Books, →ISBN, page 203:",
"text": "Many senpai attend the same dōjō for decades.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"The senior member of a group in Japanese arts; a mentor."
],
"links": [
[
"senior",
"senior"
],
[
"member",
"member"
],
[
"group",
"group"
],
[
"mentor",
"mentor"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English fandom slang",
"en:Japanese fiction"
],
"glosses": [
"An upperclassman or elder student, in the context of Japan."
],
"links": [
[
"anime",
"anime"
],
[
"manga",
"manga"
],
[
"fandom",
"fandom"
],
[
"slang",
"slang"
],
[
"upperclassman",
"upperclassman"
],
[
"elder",
"elder"
],
[
"student",
"student"
],
[
"Japan",
"Japan"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(anime and manga, fandom slang) An upperclassman or elder student, in the context of Japan."
],
"tags": [
"slang"
],
"topics": [
"anime",
"broadcasting",
"comics",
"film",
"lifestyle",
"literature",
"manga",
"media",
"publishing",
"television"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈsɛnpaɪ/",
"tags": [
"UK",
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈsɛmpaɪ/",
"tags": [
"UK",
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "[ˈsɛnpaɪ̯]",
"tags": [
"UK",
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "[ˈsɛmpaɪ̯]",
"tags": [
"UK",
"US"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-senpai.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a2/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-senpai.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-senpai.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a2/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-senpai.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-senpai.wav.ogg"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "sempai"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "xuéjiě",
"sense": "upperclassman or elder student, in the context of Japan",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "學姐 /学姐"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "xuézhǎng",
"sense": "upperclassman or elder student, in the context of Japan",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "學長 /学长"
},
{
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "senpai",
"sense": "upperclassman or elder student, in the context of Japan",
"word": "先輩"
},
{
"code": "ko",
"lang": "Korean",
"roman": "senppai",
"sense": "upperclassman or elder student, in the context of Japan",
"word": "센빠이"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"senpai"
],
"word": "senpai"
}
Download raw JSONL data for senpai meaning in English (4.4kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-10 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (df33d17 and 4ed51a5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.