sunbae means an upperclassman or senior, in the context of Korea. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 85 out of 100.
Etymology
Borrowed from Korean 선배(先輩) (seonbae, “senior”). Doublet of senpai.
noun
- An upperclassman or senior, in the context of Korea.“When students start their freshmen year in college, they are taken care of by their sunbaes, who give them various advice about school.”
- An older or more experienced idol, viewed as a veteran, mentor, or predecessor.“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.”