Waifu, Senpai, Husbando: What do the anime terms mean?

If you are new to the anime scene or have not yet come into contact with it, you will probably have little use for the terms Waifu, Senpai and Husbando. We'll explain what the terms are all about.

Waifu and Husbando: meaning of anime terms

• Otakus are Japanese nerds. They coined both the term Waifu and Husbando. It is the Japanese pronunciation of the English words "Wife" and "Husband", in German wife and husband.
• Mostly, however, Waifu and Husbando do not mean their own spouses. A waifu is the ideal woman who can imagine an otaku. It can be both real and fictional. Often, however, the waifus are out of reach of the otakus.

Anime term: what does Senpai mean?

• The term senpai not only occurs in anime, but is also a common term in everyday Japanese life. A senpai is someone who has been in an organization for longer than anyone else.
• If someone works for a longer time in a company, is a member of a sports club or in a higher class, he is a senpai for people who have not been there for so long. The opposite of the Senpais is a Kohai.
• So the term is an expression of hierarchical groups in Japan. The senpai does not have to be older. Due to the longer affiliation, he is a respect person for a Kohai.
• In anime, senpais often mean older classmates. They are hierarchically higher, are sometimes considered a kind of mentor and deserve special respect.