Japanese Honorifics: Difference between revisions

'''<big>Honorifics also used as regular words</big>'''

 

: Usually translated "upperclassman" in stories set in high school or college, but it more precisely means "mentor" or "senior", depending on context; it is also used in workplaces, clubs, etc. for employees/members with seniority. Due to differences between [[romanization]] systems, it can be spelled in Western languages as either "se''n''pai" {Kunrei} or "se''m''pai" {Hepburn}. (Both spellings are technically correct; the former is a closer transliteration of the Japanese spelling, but the latter better reflects the actual pronunciation.)

 

: The inverse of ''-senpai/-sempai'', meaning someone of a lower class year or lower seniority than the speaker. It's not strictly speaking a honorific, and it's considered rude to use to a person's face.