капита́н
kapitánmasculine
The Russian word for "captain" is капита́н (kapitán).
This noun refers to the person lawfully in command of a sea-going vessel.
Meaning: the person lawfully in command of a sea-going vessel (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form капита́н is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
kapitán
Did you know?
- Russian speakers often use the word капитан in the slang phrase капитан Очевидность, which translates to 'Captain Obvious'.
- In certain Russian maritime traditions, calling a superior simply капита́н without their rank or name can be seen as overly informal or even blunt.
- In Russian, капита́н is used for both sea captains and army captains, whereas the navy uses specialized ranks like капитан 1-го ранга to distinguish seniority.
Examples in context
- Пожалуйста, передайте сообщение капитану корабля.Please, deliver the message to the ship's captain.
Example conversation
Andrey and Maria are on a tourist cruise ship.
- Андрей AndreyСмотри, вон там капита́н!Smotrí, von tam kapitán!Look, there is the captain!
- Мария MariaОн выглядит очень опытным.On výglýadit óchen' opýtnym.He looks very experienced.
- Андрей AndreyДавай подойдём и поздороваемся.Daváy podoydyóm i pozdorováemsya.Let's go up and say hello.
- Мария MariaХорошо, пойдём к нему.Khoroshó, poydyóm k nemú.Okay, let's go to him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “captain” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
