‘前辈’ (qián bèi) literally combines ‘前’ (qián), meaning ‘front’ or ‘before’, and ‘辈’ (bèi), meaning ‘generation’ or ‘peer group’. Together, they refer to someone who is senior in age, experience, professional standing, or academic background — especially someone who came before you in a particular field, institution, or life stage. It carries strong connotations of respect and humility, and is commonly used in formal or semi-formal settings like workplaces, schools, and traditional arts.

Unlike casual terms like ‘older colleague’, 前辈 implies a relational hierarchy rooted in Confucian values: it acknowledges the other person’s accumulated wisdom and contributions, and signals your own willingness to learn and defer. You might address a seasoned teacher, an early graduate of your university, or a veteran engineer as 前辈 — but not family members (for whom terms like ‘叔叔’ or ‘阿姨’ are used instead). It is rarely used self-referentially and never with irony in standard usage.