Dictionary — Entry No. 0098
후배
hoobae · noun
후배
hoobae
[hoo-BAE]
nounintermediate
Meaning
후배 (hoobae) literally means “younger colleague” or “junior” — specifically someone who entered the same school, company, or professional field after you did. Unlike a simple age gap, 후배 status requires shared context: you must both belong to the same institution or industry, with the hoobae arriving later. In Korean culture, this relationship carries genuine social weight — hoobaes are expected to show deference to their 선배 (sunbae), while sunbaes are expected to guide, protect, and mentor their hoobaes in return. The bond can be deeply affectionate or quietly formal depending on the relationship.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
The sunbae–hoobae dynamic shapes K-Pop idol life from day one. When TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT) debuted under HYBE in 2019, they became BTS’s official hoobaes overnight — and BTS members like RM and Jin have spoken warmly in Weverse posts and on Run BTS! about cheering them on. At year-end award shows like the Melon Music Awards, it’s common to see groups like TWICE and Stray Kids bow to their sunbaes and publicly thank their hoobaes for “carrying the next generation.” In K-Dramas such as Reply 1988 and School 2013, the sunbae–hoobae bond drives some of the most emotionally resonant storylines — loyalty, quiet rivalry, and the ache of watching someone you mentored grow beyond you.
Example Sentences
방탄소년단은 후배 그룹들이 생기면서 더 큰 책임감을 느꼈다고 했어요.
Bangtan Sonyeondan-eun hoobae geurupdeuri saenggi-myeonseo deo keun chaegimgameul neukkyo-dago haesseoyo.
BTS said that as junior groups appeared, they felt an even greater sense of responsibility — the quiet weight of becoming someone else’s role model.
그 선배는 무대 뒤에서 긴장한 후배의 손을 꼭 잡아줬어요.
Geu seonbaeneun mudae dwie-eseo ginjanghan hoobae-ui soneul kkok jabajwosseoyo.
Backstage, the senior quietly took their nervous junior’s hand — a small gesture that meant everything right before the performance.
저 후배는 노래도 잘하고 댄스도 너무 잘해서 데뷔하면 크게 성공할 것 같아요.
Jeo hoobae-neun noraedo jalhago daenseu-do neomu jalhaeseo debwi-hamyeon keuge seonggonghal geot gatayo.
That junior can sing and dance so well — I just know they’re going to make it big once they debut.
⚠️ Don’t use hoobae when…
- Addressing someone directly to their face — Koreans rarely say “야, 후배!” as a direct address. It can feel dismissive or blunt. You’d use the person’s name, a job title, or simply avoid direct address altogether.
- Describing a pure age difference between strangers — 후배 requires shared belonging (same school, same company, same industry). A random younger person on the street is not your 후배. For a general “younger person,” use 연하 (yeonha) instead.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Reply 1988 (응답하라 1988) — the sunbae–hoobae dynamic between the Ssangmundong neighborhood kids echoes through the whole series, from school hallways to rooftop conversations that stretch into the night.
- K-Pop: BTS — members have used 후배 repeatedly in Weverse posts and on the variety show Run BTS! when discussing TOMORROW X TOGETHER and other HYBE labelmates, turning the term into a beloved part of the BTS fandom’s vocabulary.
💡 Did You Know? In K-Pop, the sunbae–hoobae hierarchy stretches across the entire industry — not just within the same company. A group’s debut year determines their rank relative to every other act, regardless of label. This is why at music show backstages, idols from competing agencies still bow respectfully to their sunbaes. The hierarchy is industry-wide, unwritten, and taken seriously — a 2013 debut group is the sunbae of every single act that debuted in 2014 or later, forever.
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.