Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

senpai

/ˈsɛnpaɪ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.81 in modern English

Syllables
sen-pai
IPA
/ˈsɛnpaɪ/
8
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The senior member of a group in Japanese arts; a mentor.

noun

An upperclassman or elder student, in the context of Japan.

Slang

Example Sentences

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 先(せん)輩(ぱい) (senpai). Doublet of sunbae.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈsɛnpaɪ/
  • British English: /ˈsɛnpaɪ/

Usage

Inflected Forms

senpais (plural) sempai (alternative)

Antonyms

kohai

Questions

How do you pronounce senpai?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsɛnpaɪ/.
What does senpai mean?
The senior member of a group in Japanese arts; a mentor.
Where does senpai come from?
Borrowed from Japanese 先(せん)輩(ぱい) (senpai). Doublet of sunbae.

How to pronounce senpai

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “senpai”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈsɛnpaɪ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “senpai”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “senpai” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.