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kohai
What does kohai mean?
A person junior to you in age, grade or experience within an institution. The kohai is expected to show deference to their senpai, who in turn mentors them.
"As the new kohai on the team, she carried the equipment without complaint."
Origin
Japanese 後輩 (kōhai), 'later colleague', the antonym of senpai.
Frequently asked questions
What does kohai mean?
A kohai is a person junior to you in age, grade or experience within an institution — the counterpart to a senpai, who mentors and is shown deference by the kohai.
What's the difference between kohai and senpai?
The senpai is the senior who mentors, while the kohai is the junior who shows deference. They're a matched pair in Japanese social hierarchy.
Where does the word kohai come from?
It's from the Japanese 後輩 (kōhai), meaning 'later colleague', and is the antonym of senpai.
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