sunbae

Borrowed from Korean 선배(先輩) (seonbae, “senior”). Doublet of senpai.

sunbae (plural sunbaes)

1. An upperclassman or senior, in the context of South Korea.
   • 2012, Seung Hee Yoo, David Matsumoto, “Korean Culture Explored Through Survey Research”, in Anastacia Kurylo, editor, Inter/Cultural Communication: Representation and Construction of Culture, page 400:

     When students start their freshmen year in college, they are taken care of by their sunbaes, who give them various advice about school.

   • 2012, Tatyana Yun, "The Sound And The Passion: Yonko Games 2012", The UIC Scribe (Underwood International College, Yonsei University), Winter 2012, page 46:

     On September 14-15 of this year, led by their sunbaes (upperclassmen), excited students wearing blue for Yonsei and red for Korea University converged upon Jamsil Sports Complex to support their athletic teams in the tradition-laden sports competition.

   • 2016, Julie Choi, Creating a Multivocal Self: Autoethnography as Method, page 55:

     Minwoo was an active participant in Korean sporting clubs, hung out with Korean sunbaes [seniors] in his department and lived with Korean roommates in his dormitory.

   • 2023, Hawon Jung, Flowers of Fire: The Inside Story of South Korea’s Feminist Movement and What It Means for Women’s Rights Worldwide, BenBella Books, →ISBN:

     How many people had told her these things? She’d lost count. Family. Friends. Colleagues. Seonbaes.

2. (South Korean idol fandom) An older or more experienced idol, viewed as a veteran, mentor, or predecessor.
   • 2017 May, Chew Hui Ling, “All About The TWICEcoaster”, in Teenage, page 43:

     While it did seem like TWICE was set on the fast track to stardom – after all, the JYP darlings were expected to follow in the footsteps of their 'Tell Me' sunbaes – their road to success was far from smooth-sailing.

   • 2019 June 23, Sabah S. Themis, “YG Bows Out From His Entertainment Company”, in BusinessMirror, page 5:

     Winner and iKon learned and grew by following their sunbaes' (seniors) footsteps.

   • 2019 August, Helen Rodgers, “NCT 127: Live In London”, in UKP Magazine, page 12:

     The members were decked out in classic 90s fashion which was very reminiscent of their sunbaes H.O.T.

• hoobae