Kohai

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term used to identify someone who is less experienced or younger in a specific context, particularly in educational or professional environments where they often seek guidance from seniors
2. This word describes an individual who holds a subordinate position in terms of expertise or age within a group, usually requiring assistance from a more knowledgeable mentor
3. A word denoting a person who is junior or less experienced within a specific field or organization, often relying on guidance from a more senior individual

Etymology: In Japanese, 後輩 (kōhai) is built from two characters: 後 (kō), meaning "later" or "behind," and 輩 (hai), meaning "companion" or "cohort." Together they describe someone who entered a shared group, such as a school club or a company, after you did. The seniority that matters is one of arrival time, not age, so a younger person who joined a club a year earlier than you is your senior, and an older person who joined later is your junior. English borrowed the term directly from Japanese, so it keeps the sense of the original rather than a neutral word like "junior." Its relative, "hoobae," is a doublet, meaning the same word came into Korean-influenced usage from the same Chinese roots by a different route, and it shows how the same two characters can be pronounced differently across languages.