What Does "Sunbae" Mean? Seniors, Juniors and Respect in Korea
Sunbae (선배) means a senior who started school, work or a career before you. Learn how sunbae, hoobae and donggi work at school, at work and in K-pop.
By a native Korean teacher · · 2 min read
Sunbae (선배, officially romanized seonbae) means a senior: someone who entered your school, company or field before you did. The person who came after you is your 후배 (hubae, often spelled hoobae). It is about who started first, not strictly about age.
Word at a glance
선배seonbae
- Literally
- the one who came first
- In natural English
- senior, someone who started before you
The basic meaning of sunbae
선배 is built from 선 (先, "before") and 배 (輩, "group of people"). A sunbae is someone ahead of you on the same path. Because Korean relationships are shaped by order and seniority, this one word quietly decides how people speak to each other, who pays for dinner and who gives advice.
The opposite is 후배 (hubae), the junior. People who started in the same year are 동기 (donggi).
그 사람은 제 대학교 선배예요.
Geu sarameun je daehakgyo seonbaeyeyo.
He is my senior from college.
우리 동기야.
Uri donggiya.
We started in the same year.
Sunbae at school
Students call older students in the same school or major 선배. In college this can feel almost like a family role: sunbaes often show juniors around, share notes and treat them to meals, and hubaes are expected to greet them politely.
Interestingly, if someone younger entered university before you, they can still be your sunbae. Order of entry matters, which makes some situations awkward and makes great K-drama material.
Sunbae at work
In companies, a 선배 is a coworker who joined before you, especially in the same team. People often add the honorific -님 (-nim) and say 선배님 (seonbaenim) to show more respect. In many offices, though, job titles like 팀장님 (timjangnim, team leader) are used instead when talking to managers.
선배님, 이거 한번 봐 주실 수 있으세요?
Seonbaenim, igeo hanbeon bwa jusil su isseuseyo?
Sunbae, could you take a look at this?
후배들한테 밥 사 줬어.
Hubaedeulhante bap sa jwosseo.
I bought dinner for my juniors.
Sunbae in K-pop
K-pop fans hear the word all the time. Idols who debuted earlier are 선배 to newer idols, regardless of age, and rookies greet them as 선배님 at music shows and award ceremonies. When a younger group says they grew up watching a senior group, they are showing respect to their sunbaes.
Fans also say a group "bowed to their sunbaes" or call two groups from the same agency sunbae and hoobae, borrowing the Korean terms directly into English.
Sunbae vs hyung, oppa, unnie and noona
Family-style titles like 형, 오빠, 언니 and 누나 are based on age and closeness. 선배 is based on who started first. Friends from school often move from 선배 to 형 or 언니 once they become close, so the switch is a sign that the relationship has become more personal.
Questions people ask
Is sunbae only for older people?+
No. It is about who entered the school, company or industry first. A younger person can be your sunbae if they started earlier.
What is the difference between sunbae and sunbaenim?+
Sunbaenim adds the honorific -nim, so it is more respectful. It is common at work, in the entertainment industry and when talking to a senior you are not close to.
How do you spell hoobae in Korean?+
It is 후배, romanized hubae. Hoobae is the common fan spelling.
Can I call a Korean friend sunbae?+
Only if they really are ahead of you in the same school, workplace or field. Otherwise use their name or an age-based title.