What does "Senpai" mean?

[arenaynieve]

I have no idea about chinese/japanese culture/protocols but I keep noticing they call the hero Senpai very often.

Why is that? Did I do anything wrong?

[WhiteLezard]

It's a honorific used to refer to someone who has some degree of seniority above you.
The ones calling the protagonist Senpai are characters that are on first year; protagonist is a second year student.

[Schitty]

Senpai is a japanese honorific used to refer to someone of higher experience, level, or age, so first-year students use it to refer to their upperclassmen. The lowerclassman or "kōhai" tend to treat them with a great deal of respect.

[GeassV]

"master", " teacher", "older but more experience than another"

[Schitty]

Originally posted by GeassV:

"master", " teacher", "older but more experience than another"

Teachers and Masters would be referred to as "Sensei", hence Teddie's name for the protagonist.

[heatgold]

I think it means upperclassman or senior. In Japanese, they use titles to denote age or status such as kun/chan for younger people, sensei for master/mister, etc.

[arenaynieve]

Originally posted by ThatsSchitty:

Originally posted by GeassV:

"master", " teacher", "older but more experience than another"

Teachers and Masters would be referred to as "Sensei", hence Teddie's name for the protagonist.

I see :O, thats why Teddie keeps calling me that lol

[fender178]

Also what ThatsSchitty has mentioned also applies to the workforce as well.

[DogMeat]

It translates to "Daddy".

[GeassV]

Originally posted by ThatsSchitty:

Originally posted by GeassV:

"master", " teacher", "older but more experience than another"

Teachers and Masters would be referred to as "Sensei", hence Teddie's name for the protagonist.

thanks for correction

[MUSA]

Senpai could also be mean "Senior"
and Kohai could be mean "Junior"

[arenaynieve]

Originally posted by DogMeat:

It translates to "Daddy".

xD

[I Am Groot]

Senpai - Coming from Chinese "xianbei"
Sen-pai, sen/xian means "come before", pai/bei means "generation", literally - "the one who comes before [the addressing presenter]"
Kohai is the same - coming from Chinese "houbei"
Ko-hai, kou/hou means "come later", hai/bei means "generation", literally - "the one of current or lower generations"
Most of East Asia/South/South East Asia uses those two honorifics.
.
Sensei is almost the same as senpai, excepts, sei means "teacher/one who practices", including doctor.
Except Japanese, most of Chinese influenced uses "shifu", shi ~ sei, fu means father(figurative adopted). Meanwhile, doctor is called "laoshi", lao means old/older.