Japanese symbol for “junior”
後輩
こうはい
Romaji: kouhai
junior (at work, school, etc.); younger people; younger student
In Japanese, junior is 後輩, read こうはい (kouhai).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n junior (at work, school, etc.); younger people; younger student
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “junior”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 年下 | としした toshishita | younger; junior |
| 目下 | めした meshita | subordinate; subordinates; inferior |
| ジュニア | ジュニア junia | junior |
| 下級 | かきゅう kakyuu | lower grade; low class; junior (officer) |
| 次席 | じせき jiseki | associate; junior; assistant |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 最後 | さいご saigo | end; conclusion |
| 今後 | こんご kongo | from now on; hereafter |
| 午後 | ごご gogo | afternoon; p.m. |
| 後半 | こうはん kouhan | second half; latter half |
| 後ろ | うしろ ushiro | back; behind; rear |
| 直後 | ちょくご chokugo | immediately following |
| 先輩 | せんぱい senpai | senior (at school, work, etc.); superior; elder |
| 輩出 | はいしゅつ haishutsu | producing (people) in great numbers; appearing one after the other |
See also: Chinese symbol for “junior”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.