So, I work out with a trainer. He’s a few years older than me (23 and ~28). In the context of training, I assume he’d be 先生, right? And if I see him outside the gym, the same. But, if I join his boxing gym, where he is a student, not a teacher, in that context, would I then refer to him as 先輩, or still 先生？
Also, if I were more experienced in boxing and he joined my gym, would he refer to _me_ as 先輩、even though I’m younger? And would I continue to refer to him as 先生 in that context? None of this matters, but we’re both beginners in Japanese and curious.
1 comment
I wouldn’t really use 先生. They’re a trainer, not a school teacher, nor are they a doctor: the term 先生 tends to refer to academic professions and occasionally some people highly respected in an artistic field (which is why famous mangaka sometimes get called 先生). Most Japanese people wouldn’t really see a gym trainer as coming under this category. (karate and kendo etc. yes, but that’s because these come under the specific classification of 武芸, or Japanese martial arts)
As for 先輩, that’s more to do with relationships within some specific organised group, be it a club or a workplace. If you’re both part of a dedicated organisation that engages in a range of activities with each member having some responsibility, then yes, that would be where 先輩 shows up. But for a boxing gym, especially when you’re two adults, I wouldn’t pay too much attention to the 先輩後輩 thing.
Though to answer the younger/older question, yes, 先輩後輩 is decided by seniority in an organisation, not by age. Usually those overlap so it’s a non-issue, but if someone e.g. goes into a part-time job at the age of 22, and there’s someone aged 21 who’s been there since 18, the 21 year-old gets called 先輩 because he has 3 years of experience. But again, that shows up precisely because it’s a role with responsibility; at a western-style boxing gym, especially between adults, this doesn’t really show up too much.
TL;DR: I wouldn’t worry about it.