This is the 6051st most frequent Korean word.
선배
"선배" means "senior" or "someone who is more experienced or earlier in a shared group, institution, or field."
The word '선배' refers to someone with more experience or a higher rank in certain contexts, like at school or work.
저는 늘 선배들을 존경합니다.
I always respect my senpais.
Here, '선배' is used to describe an individual who is one academic year or more ahead in the same school.
학교에서 만난 첫 번째 선배는 매우 친절했어요.
The first senior I met at school was very kind.
In this context, '선배' indicates a coworker in the same workplace who has been there longer or has more experience.