different between sensei vs senpai

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese ??(????) (sensei, “teacher; elder”), from ?? (MC sen ??æ?, “master, elder”), from ? (MC sen, “earlier, first”) + ? (MC ??æ?, “born”). Compare modern Mandarin ?? (xi?nsh?ng, “Mr.”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s?nse?/

Noun

sensei (plural sensei or senseis)

1. A martial arts instructor. Sensei of martial arts usually live and/or work at a dojo where they instruct their apprentices. A live-in apprentice is also called uchi-deshi.

   Synonyms: sifu, shifu

2. a Japanese (language) teacher.
3. a suffix attached to the name of a teacher (principally in translations from Japanese)

Translations

Anagrams

• Neises, Neisse, Nessie, Nieses, Sinese, in esse, insees, sees in, seines

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese ?? (???? sensei).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s?n.s?j/

Noun

sensei m (plural senseis)

1. sensei (martial arts instructor)

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese ??(????) (sensei, “teacher; elder”), from Middle Chinese ?? (sen-?æn?, “master, elder”), from ? (“earlier, first”) + ? (“born”). Compare Min Nan ?? (sin-se?, “doctor, physician, teacher”). Doublet of sinse.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sen.sei/
• Hyphenation: sén?séi

Noun

sensei (first-person possessive senseiku, second-person possessive senseimu, third-person possessive senseinya)

1. a martial arts instructor.
2. a Japanese (language) teacher.
3. a suffix attached to the name of a teacher (principally in translations from Japanese)

Related terms

• sinse

Further reading

• “sensei” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI) Daring, Jakarta: Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, 2016.

Japanese

Romanization

sensei

1. R?maji transcription of ????

Palauan

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese ?? (???? sensei).

Noun

sensei

1. teacher

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese ?? (sensei).

Noun

sensei m (plural senseis)

1. sensei (martial arts instructor)
2. sensei (a Japanese teacher or master)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese ?? (sensei).

Noun

sensei m (plural senseis)

1. sensei (martial arts instructor)

English

Alternative forms

• sempai

Etymology

Japanese ?? (senpai), from Middle Chinese ? (sen, “first, former”) + ? (bìj, “generation”). Compare Mandarin ?? (xi?nbèi, “elders”). Doublet of sunbae.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?s?mpa?/, /?s?npa?/, [?s?mpa??], [?s?npa??]

Noun

senpai (plural senpais)

1. The senior member of a group in Japanese arts; a mentor.
2. (anime and manga, fandom slang) An upperclassman or elder student.

Usage notes

Use in English may carry humorous or affectionate connotations. This is possibly due to (assumed) reference to modern Japanese media, or possibly a lexical gap.

Antonyms

• kohai

Anagrams

• Espina, Pesina, Sapien, paines, sapien, spinae

Japanese

Romanization

senpai

1. R?maji transcription of ????