πŸ‘₯

Introducing Others: Colleague, Senior, Junior

Keywords
λ™λ£Œ / μ„ λ°° / ν›„λ°°
Lesson #
S
Done
Section
Basic Vocabulary
🎯
TL;DR
  1. λ™λ£Œ = colleague / coworker (noun) πŸ‘₯
  1. μ„ λ°° = senior (someone who joined earlier) (noun) πŸŽ“
  1. ν›„λ°° = junior (someone who joined later) (noun) 🌱
  1. 상사 = boss / superior (noun) πŸ’Ό
  1. μ‹ μž… = newcomer / new employee (noun) πŸ†•
πŸ”Š
Iru Helper Note
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Try this: 이 μ‚¬λžŒμ€ 제 λ™λ£Œμ΄κ³ , 이뢄은 저희 μƒμ‚¬μ˜ˆμš”. 그리고 이μͺ½μ€ μ‹ μž… ν›„λ°°μ˜ˆμš”!
(This person is my colleague, and this is our boss. And this is our new junior colleague!)
Β 

🌈 The Big Picture

Korean workplaces and schools run on a web of relationships, and these five words help you map it out. λ™λ£Œ is your neutral, everyday "coworker," while μ„ λ°° and ν›„λ°° describe relative seniority β€” who came first. 상사 marks who has authority over you, and μ‹ μž… flags the newest face in the room. Learn these five and you can introduce anyone in a Korean office with confidence. 🏒

🎨 The Core Workplace Relations Family

1. λ™λ£Œ β€” colleague / coworker πŸ‘₯
A neutral word for people you work with β€” no hierarchy implied.
  • 이 μ‚¬λžŒμ€ 제 λ™λ£Œμ˜ˆμš”. (This is my colleague.)
  • λ™λ£Œλ“€κ³Ό 점심을 λ¨Ήμ–΄μš”. (I eat lunch with my colleagues.)
β€” Grammar note: λ™λ£Œ is register-neutral and doesn't indicate rank or tenure β€” just "someone I work with."
2. μ„ λ°° β€” senior πŸŽ“
Someone who joined the school or company before you β€” a senior in tenure.
  • 그뢄은 제 μ„ λ°°μ˜ˆμš”. (That person is my senior.)
  • μ„ λ°°λ‹˜, μ•ˆλ…•ν•˜μ„Έμš”! (Hello, senior!)
β€” Grammar note: add λ‹˜ (μ„ λ°°λ‹˜) for polite, direct address.
3. ν›„λ°° β€” junior 🌱
Someone who joined after you β€” the opposite of μ„ λ°°.
  • ν›„λ°°κ°€ μƒˆλ‘œ λ“€μ–΄μ™”μ–΄μš”. (A junior just joined.)
  • ν›„λ°°λ₯Ό λ„μ™€μ€˜μš”. (I help my junior.)
β€” Grammar note: μ„ λ°° ↔ ν›„λ°° are relative β€” the same person can be a μ„ λ°° to one person and a ν›„λ°° to another.
4. 상사 β€” boss / superior πŸ’Ό
Someone in a higher position of authority at work β€” a manager or above.
  • μƒμ‚¬ν•œν…Œ λ³΄κ³ ν•΄μš”. (I report to my boss.)
  • 우리 μƒμ‚¬λŠ” μΉœμ ˆν•΄μš”. (My boss is kind.)
β€” Grammar note: 상사 is about organizational rank, while μ„ λ°° is about who joined earlier β€” they aren't always the same person.
5. μ‹ μž… β€” newcomer / new employee πŸ†•
Short for μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ› β€” someone who has just joined.
  • μ €λŠ” μ‹ μž…μ΄μ—μš”. (I'm a new employee.)
  • μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ› ν™˜μ˜ν•©λ‹ˆλ‹€! (Welcome, new employee!)
β€” Grammar note: μ‹ μž… + 사원/직원 = "new employee"; μ‹ μž…μƒ = "freshman" (school context).

πŸ› οΈ How They Work in a Sentence

  1. 이 μ‚¬λžŒμ€ 제 λ™λ£Œμ΄κ³ , 이뢄은 저희 μƒμ‚¬μ˜ˆμš”.
      2. (This person is my colleague, and this person is our boss.)
      β€” λ™λ£Œ (neutral coworker) is contrasted with 상사 (authority figure).
  1. μ„ λ°°λ‹˜κ»˜ μΈμ‚¬ν•˜κ³  ν›„λ°°λ₯Ό μ†Œκ°œν•΄ μ€¬μ–΄μš”.
      2. (I greeted my senior and introduced my junior.)
      β€” μ„ λ°°λ‹˜ (polite address) and ν›„λ°° (referring to someone else) used together.
  1. μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ›μ΄ λ“€μ–΄μ™€μ„œ λ™λ£Œλ“€μ΄ λͺ¨λ‘ λ°˜κ°€μ›Œν–ˆμ–΄μš”.
      2. (A new employee joined, and all the colleagues were happy.)
      β€” μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ› introduces a μ‹ μž…, who instantly becomes everyone's λ™λ£Œ (and someone's ν›„λ°°).

🧩 General Formation Rule

  • μ„ λ°° ↔ ν›„λ°° β€” relative terms based on who joined first; the same person can be both depending on who's being compared
  • λ™λ£Œ β€” neutral, no hierarchy implied
  • 상사 β€” implies authority/rank, often paired with λΆ€ν•˜ (subordinate)
  • μ‹ μž… (+ 사원/생) β€” "new" + role noun (μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ› = new employee, μ‹ μž…μƒ = freshman)
  • Add λ‹˜ for polite, direct address: μ„ λ°°λ‹˜ (common), ν›„λ°°λ‹˜ (less common), titles preferred for 상사 (e.g., κ³Όμž₯λ‹˜)

πŸ“š Cross-check note

All vocabulary cross-checked against korean.go.kr βœ…

πŸͺž Synonym Alert

  • μ„ λ°° vs 상사 β€” μ„ λ°° = joined earlier (tenure-based); 상사 = has authority over you (rank-based). A μ„ λ°° isn't always your 상사.
  • λ™λ£Œ vs 친ꡬ β€” λ™λ£Œ = coworker (work relationship); 친ꡬ = friend (personal relationship), regardless of workplace.
  • ν›„λ°° vs μ‹ μž… β€” ν›„λ°° = anyone who joined after you (relative); μ‹ μž… = specifically a brand-new employee (recent, absolute).
  • 상사 vs 사μž₯ β€” 상사 = any superior above you; 사μž₯ = company president/CEO specifically.
  • μ„ λ°°λ‹˜ vs μ„ λ°° β€” μ„ λ°°λ‹˜ is more polite/respectful when addressing them directly; μ„ λ°° is fine when talking about them.

⚠️ Pitfalls to Dodge

  • ❌ Calling a coworker 친ꡬ β†’ βœ… λ™λ£Œ for workplace relationships, 친ꡬ for personal friends.
  • ❌ Treating μ„ λ°°/ν›„λ°° as fixed titles β†’ βœ… They're relative β€” depends on who you're comparing to.
  • ❌ Assuming your μ„ λ°° is automatically your 상사 β†’ βœ… Seniority and rank aren't always the same person.
  • ❌ Dropping λ‹˜ when addressing a μ„ λ°° directly β†’ βœ… μ„ λ°°λ‹˜ is the polite, direct form.
  • ❌ Calling a long-time coworker μ‹ μž… β†’ βœ… μ‹ μž… means "just joined" β€” switch to λ™λ£Œ/μ„ λ°°/ν›„λ°° once they're established.
μ„ λ°°, ν›„λ°°, λ™λ£Œ, 상사, μ‹ μž…κΉŒμ§€ β€” 직μž₯ μ‚¬λžŒλ“€μ„ μžμ‹  있게 μ†Œκ°œν•΄ λ΄μš”! πŸ‘₯🏒
Β 
Try this exercise
Fill in each blank with the correct word (λ™λ£Œ, μ„ λ°°, ν›„λ°°, 상사, or μ‹ μž…).
A. 이 μ‚¬λžŒμ€ 제 ___μ˜ˆμš”. (This is my colleague.)
Answer
λ™λ£Œ
B. ___λ‹˜, μ•ˆλ…•ν•˜μ„Έμš”! (Hello, senior!)
Answer
μ„ λ°°
C. ___κ°€ μƒˆλ‘œ λ“€μ–΄μ™”μ–΄μš”. (A junior just joined.)
Answer
ν›„λ°°
D. ___ν•œν…Œ λ³΄κ³ ν•΄μš”. (I report to my boss.)
Answer
상사
E. μ €λŠ” ___μ΄μ—μš”. (I'm a new employee.)
Answer
μ‹ μž…
F. ___λ“€κ³Ό 점심을 λ¨Ήμ–΄μš”. (I eat lunch with my colleagues.)
Answer
λ™λ£Œ
G. 그뢄은 제 ___μ˜ˆμš”. (That person is my senior.)
Answer
μ„ λ°°
H. ___λ₯Ό λ„μ™€μ€˜μš”. (I help my junior.)
Answer
ν›„λ°°
I. 우리 ___λŠ” μΉœμ ˆν•΄μš”. (My boss is kind.)
Answer
상사
J. ___사원 ν™˜μ˜ν•©λ‹ˆλ‹€! (Welcome, new employee!)
Answer
μ‹ μž…
πŸ“š
Vocabulary Box
  • λ™λ£Œ β€” colleague (neutral)
  • μ„ λ°° β€” senior (joined earlier)
  • ν›„λ°° β€” junior (joined later)
  • 상사 β€” boss/superior (rank)
  • μ‹ μž… β€” newcomer/new employee
πŸ’‘
Pitfalls reminder
  • μ„ λ°°/ν›„λ°° are relative, not fixed
  • μ„ λ°° β‰  상사 (tenure vs. rank)
  • μ‹ μž… = recently joined only
πŸ”
Want more reps? Draw your own office chart β€” label yourself, then mark who's your μ„ λ°°, ν›„λ°°, λ™λ£Œ, and 상사!
Β 
πŸ“¦
Practice Hub: Introducing Others (λ™λ£Œ / μ„ λ°° / ν›„λ°° / 상사 / μ‹ μž…)
Five rounds to master Korean workplace and school relationships.

Exercise 1 β€” Word Recall: λ™λ£Œ & μ„ λ°°

A. "He is my colleague."
Answer
κ·ΈλŠ” 제 λ™λ£Œμ˜ˆμš”.
B. "I work with my colleagues."
Answer
λ™λ£Œλ“€κ³Ό μΌν•΄μš”.
C. "My senior taught me a lot."
Answer
μ„ λ°°κ°€ 많이 κ°€λ₯΄μ³ μ€¬μ–΄μš”.
D. "Good morning, senior!"
Answer
μ„ λ°°λ‹˜, 쒋은 μ•„μΉ¨μ΄μ—μš”!
E. "She is a colleague from another team."
Answer
κ·Έλ…€λŠ” λ‹€λ₯Έ νŒ€ λ™λ£Œμ˜ˆμš”.
F. "I respect my senior."
Answer
μ €λŠ” μ„ λ°°λ₯Ό μ‘΄κ²½ν•΄μš”.
G. "We're colleagues, not friends."
Answer
μš°λ¦¬λŠ” μΉœκ΅¬κ°€ μ•„λ‹ˆλΌ λ™λ£Œμ˜ˆμš”.
H. "My senior gave me advice."
Answer
μ„ λ°°κ°€ 쑰언을 ν•΄ μ€¬μ–΄μš”.
I. "All my colleagues are nice."
Answer
제 λ™λ£Œλ“€μ€ λ‹€ μΉœμ ˆν•΄μš”.
J. "I have a meeting with my senior."
Answer
선배와 νšŒμ˜κ°€ μžˆμ–΄μš”.
πŸ“š
Quick Reference
  • λ™λ£Œ = colleague (neutral)
  • μ„ λ°° = senior (joined earlier)
  • μ„ λ°°λ‹˜ = polite direct address
Β 

Exercise 2 β€” Word Recall: ν›„λ°° & 상사

A. "My junior is very diligent."
Answer
제 ν›„λ°°λŠ” 정말 μ„±μ‹€ν•΄μš”.
B. "I taught my junior how to do it."
Answer
ν›„λ°°μ—κ²Œ 방법을 κ°€λ₯΄μ³ μ€¬μ–΄μš”.
C. "My boss is strict."
Answer
우리 μƒμ‚¬λŠ” μ—„κ²©ν•΄μš”.
D. "I need to ask my boss."
Answer
μƒμ‚¬ν•œν…Œ 물어봐야 ν•΄μš”.
E. "My junior joined last month."
Answer
제 ν›„λ°°κ°€ μ§€λ‚œλ‹¬μ— μž…μ‚¬ν–ˆμ–΄μš”.
F. "The boss called a meeting."
Answer
상사가 회의λ₯Ό μ†Œμ§‘ν–ˆμ–΄μš”.
G. "I'm proud of my junior."
Answer
제 ν›„λ°°κ°€ μžλž‘μŠ€λŸ¬μ›Œμš”.
H. "My boss approved the plan."
Answer
상사가 κ³„νšμ„ μŠΉμΈν–ˆμ–΄μš”.
I. "I introduced my junior to everyone."
Answer
ν›„λ°°λ₯Ό λͺ¨λ‘μ—κ²Œ μ†Œκ°œν–ˆμ–΄μš”.
J. "My boss is on a business trip."
Answer
우리 μƒμ‚¬λŠ” 좜μž₯ μ€‘μ΄μ—μš”.
πŸ“š
Quick Reference
  • ν›„λ°° = junior (joined later)
  • 상사 = boss/superior (rank-based)
  • μƒμ‚¬ν•œν…Œ/μ—κ²Œ λ³΄κ³ ν•˜λ‹€ = "report to boss"
Β 

Exercise 3 β€” Pattern Practice: μ„ λ°°/ν›„λ°° (relative usage)

A. "To him, I'm a senior."
Answer
κ·Έμ—κ²ŒλŠ” μ œκ°€ μ„ λ°°μ˜ˆμš”.
B. "To her, you're a junior."
Answer
κ·Έλ…€μ—κ²ŒλŠ” 당신이 ν›„λ°°μ˜ˆμš”.
C. "We're seniors to the new students."
Answer
μš°λ¦¬λŠ” μ‹ μž…μƒλ“€μ˜ μ„ λ°°μ˜ˆμš”.
D. "I'm a junior compared to him."
Answer
그와 λΉ„κ΅ν•˜λ©΄ μ €λŠ” ν›„λ°°μ˜ˆμš”.
E. "He's my senior, but my junior's senior too."
Answer
κ·ΈλŠ” 제 선배이고, 제 ν›„λ°°μ˜ 선배이기도 ν•΄μš”.
F. "Among us, who's the most senior?"
Answer
우리 μ€‘μ—μ„œ λˆ„κ°€ κ°€μž₯ μ„ λ°°μ˜ˆμš”?
G. "I became a senior this year."
Answer
μ˜¬ν•΄ μ €λŠ” μ„ λ°°κ°€ λμ–΄μš”.
H. "Even seniors have seniors."
Answer
μ„ λ°°μ—κ²Œλ„ μ„ λ°°κ°€ μžˆμ–΄μš”.
I. "Don't be too formal with your junior."
Answer
ν›„λ°°μ—κ²Œ λ„ˆλ¬΄ 격식 차리지 λ§ˆμ„Έμš”.
J. "I learned a lot from my seniors."
Answer
μ„ λ°°λ“€μ—κ²Œ 많이 λ°°μ› μ–΄μš”.
πŸ“š
Quick Reference
  • μ„ λ°°/ν›„λ°° = relative, depends on comparison
  • λΉ„κ΅ν•˜λ©΄ = "compared to"
  • ~μ—κ²Œλ„ = "even to ~"
Β 

Exercise 4 β€” Pattern Practice: μ‹ μž… & Workplace Intro

A. "I'm a new employee, nice to meet you."
Answer
μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ›μž…λ‹ˆλ‹€. λ°˜κ°‘μŠ΅λ‹ˆλ‹€.
B. "Please take care of the new employee."
Answer
μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ›μ„ 잘 λΆ€νƒλ“œλ¦½λ‹ˆλ‹€.
C. "The new employee is very nervous."
Answer
μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ›μ΄ 많이 κΈ΄μž₯ν–ˆμ–΄μš”.
D. "We have three new employees this year."
Answer
μ˜¬ν•΄ μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ›μ΄ μ„Έ λͺ…μ΄μ—μš”.
E. "I was a freshman last year."
Answer
μž‘λ…„μ— μ €λŠ” μ‹ μž…μƒμ΄μ—ˆμ–΄μš”.
F. "The new employee asked a question."
Answer
μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ›μ΄ μ§ˆλ¬Έμ„ ν–ˆμ–΄μš”.
G. "Let's welcome the new employees."
Answer
μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ›λ“€μ„ ν™˜μ˜ν•΄μš”.
H. "I remember being a new employee."
Answer
μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ›μ΄μ—ˆμ„ λ•Œκ°€ κΈ°μ–΅λ‚˜μš”.
I. "The new employee made a mistake."
Answer
μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ›μ΄ μ‹€μˆ˜λ₯Ό ν–ˆμ–΄μš”.
J. "Being new is hard, but exciting."
Answer
μ‹ μž…μ€ νž˜λ“€μ§€λ§Œ μ‹ λ‚˜μš”.
πŸ“š
Quick Reference
  • μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ› = new employee
  • μ‹ μž…μƒ = freshman (school)
  • 잘 λΆ€νƒλ“œλ¦½λ‹ˆλ‹€ = "please take care of [them/me]"
Β 

Exercise 5 β€” Mixed Mastery

A. "This is my colleague, and this is our boss."
Answer
이 μ‚¬λžŒμ€ 제 λ™λ£Œμ΄κ³ , 이뢄은 저희 μƒμ‚¬μ˜ˆμš”.
B. "My senior introduced the new employee to everyone."
Answer
μ„ λ°°κ°€ μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ›μ„ λͺ¨λ‘μ—κ²Œ μ†Œκ°œν–ˆμ–΄μš”.
C. "I'm a junior to my senior, but a senior to the new employee."
Answer
μ €λŠ” μ„ λ°°μ—κ²ŒλŠ” 후배이고, μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ›μ—κ²ŒλŠ” μ„ λ°°μ˜ˆμš”.
D. "My boss respects my senior."
Answer
우리 μƒμ‚¬λŠ” 제 μ„ λ°°λ₯Ό μ‘΄κ²½ν•΄μš”.
E. "All my colleagues welcomed the new employee."
Answer
제 λ™λ£Œλ“€μ΄ λͺ¨λ‘ μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ›μ„ ν™˜μ˜ν–ˆμ–΄μš”.
F. "I report to my boss, and my junior reports to me."
Answer
μ €λŠ” μƒμ‚¬μ—κ²Œ λ³΄κ³ ν•˜κ³ , ν›„λ°°λŠ” μ €μ—κ²Œ λ³΄κ³ ν•΄μš”.
G. "My senior and I are colleagues now."
Answer
이제 선배와 μ €λŠ” λ™λ£Œμ˜ˆμš”.
H. "The new employee asked my junior for help."
Answer
μ‹ μž…μ‚¬μ›μ΄ 제 ν›„λ°°μ—κ²Œ 도움을 μš”μ²­ν–ˆμ–΄μš”.
I. "My boss, my senior, and my colleagues all came."
Answer
상사, μ„ λ°°, λ™λ£Œλ“€μ΄ λ‹€ μ™”μ–΄μš”.
J. "Welcome! I'm your senior, and this is your boss."
Answer
ν™˜μ˜ν•΄μš”! μ €λŠ” λ‹Ήμ‹ μ˜ 선배이고, 이뢄은 λ‹Ήμ‹ μ˜ μƒμ‚¬μ˜ˆμš”.
πŸ“š
Quick Reference
  • All five together: λ™λ£Œ, μ„ λ°°, ν›„λ°°, 상사, μ‹ μž…
  • Roles shift depending on perspective
  • ν™˜μ˜ν•΄μš” = "welcome"
λ™λ£Œ, μ„ λ°°, ν›„λ°°, 상사, μ‹ μž… β€” 이제 λˆ„κ΅¬λ“  μžμ‹  있게 μ†Œκ°œν•  수 μžˆμ–΄μš”! πŸ‘₯πŸŽ“πŸŒ±πŸ’ΌπŸ†•