Kapitän
/kapiˈtɛːn/masculine
The German word for captain is Kapitän.
The term refers to the person lawfully in command of a sea-going vessel.
Meaning: the person lawfully in command of a sea-going vessel (noun)
Which one should you use?
While Kapitän is used for maritime vessels, the term Pilot is more common in German for the person in command of an aircraft.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular is Kapitän. The feminine form is Kapitänin, and the plural form is Kapitäne.
How do you pronounce it?
/kapiˈtɛːn/
Did you know?
- The word Kapitän shares a linguistic ancestor with the English word 'chapter', as both stem from the Latin word for 'head' or 'chief'.
- When addressing a sea captain formally in German, one rarely uses the word Kapitän directly as a title, preferring instead to use the person's rank or surname to show proper respect.
Examples in context
- Sie nennen mich Kapitän.They call me captain.This sentence shows how the word Kapitän is used when being addressed by others.Tatoeba #7324210 by Yorwba, translation #305366 by CK
- Hier spricht der Kapitän.This is your captain speaking.This sentence is a common way to introduce oneself as the Kapitän over a communication system.Tatoeba #3183671 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3183460 by CK
- Tom ist ein guter Kapitän.Tom is a good captain.This sentence uses Kapitän to describe a person's character or skill.Tatoeba #8630674 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #7736437 by CK
- Entschuldigen Sie, Herr Kapitän, können Sie mir den Weg zum Hafen zeigen?Excuse me, Mr. Captain, can you show me the way to the port?
- Hey Käpt'n, wie war die heutige Fahrt?Hey captain, how was today's trip?
- 92 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a harbor, Sarah and Felix are watching a ship arrive.
- FelixWer ist der Kapitän von diesem Schiff?Who is the captain of this ship?
- SarahDer Kapitän ist ein sehr erfahrener Mann.The captain is a very experienced man.
- FelixHat der Kapitän das Schiff sicher geankert?Did the captain anchor the ship safely?
- SarahJa, der Kapitän hat alles perfekt gemacht.Yes, the captain did everything perfectly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “captain” translations and entries Kapitän, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Kapitän, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
