capitaine

captain

noun kah-pee-TEN Common

Usage Note

Capitaine covers both military rank (army captain, police captain) and the captain of a ship or sports team. Unlike English, it is also used as a direct form of address in the military without an article. The feminine la capitaine is increasingly used for women holding the rank.

Examples

"Le capitaine a donné ses ordres à l'équipage."

Natural Translation

The captain gave his orders to the crew.

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