Etymology Explorer › Japanese

Where does “先輩” come from?

先輩 (Japanese) comes from Middle Chinese 先 — first, former; earlier, first.

先輩 (Japanese): a senior, one who has seniority; an upperclassman

Definitions

  1. a senior, one who has seniority; an upperclassman

Ancestry of “先輩”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Chinese先first, former; earlier, first

Words derived from “先輩”

  • sempai
  • senpai
Every word from Middle Chinese 先 →