How to Say "Captain" in Italian

capitano

/ka.piˈta.no/masculine

The English phrase captain is translated into Italian as capitano.

capitano 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 capitano is the standard term for a person in command of a vessel, it can also denote a military rank.

The feminine form of the noun is capitana. The plural form for a group of male captains or a mixed-gender group is capitani.

The word has four syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable: /ka.piˈta.no/.

The word capitano shares a common ancestor with the English word 'head', as both derive from the Latin 'caput' meaning 'head'.
In historical Italian contexts, a capitano was not always a sailor but could be a mercenary leader or a civic official in charge of city defenses.
The term 'capitano' can also refer to a 'captain' of a sports team, showing its versatility beyond the sea or military.

Ziri è un capitano.
Ziri is a captain.
This sentence is useful for identifying a specific person as a capitano.
Tatoeba #12879481 by Guybrush88, translation #10208039 by Amastan
Chi era il capitano?
Who was the captain?
This sentence is useful for asking about the identity of a capitano.
Tatoeba #4530799 by Guybrush88, translation #4494791 by CK
Dov'è il tuo capitano?
Where's your captain?
This sentence is useful for asking for the location of a capitano.
Tatoeba #13383824 by Guybrush88, translation #3731227 by CM
Il capitano è responsabile della nave.
The captain is responsible for the ship.
Hanno scelto Giovanni come capitano della squadra.
They have chosen Giovanni as the team captain.
Il comandante dirige la nave con abilità.
The captain skillfully steers the ship.
Bravo, capitano! Hai fatto un ottimo lavoro.
Well done, captain! You did a great job.
120 more sentences on Tatoeba

Sofia and Francesco are on a cruise ship.

Sources

Wiktionary, “captain” translations and entries capitano, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries capitano, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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