capitán
/kapiˈtan/masculine
The Spanish word for captain is capitán.
The word capitán is used for sea captains, pilots of aircraft and leaders of sports teams.
Meaning: the person lawfully in command of a sea-going vessel (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use capitán to refer to a male captain or a group of captains containing at least one male. The feminine form of capitán is capitana.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of capitán is capitanes.
How do you pronounce it?
/kapiˈtan/
Did you know?
- The word capitán shares a root with the English word 'chapter' because both come from the Latin caput meaning 'head'.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if you call a person capitán as a joke, you are jokingly implying they are acting like a bossy or authoritative leader.
- In historical Spanish naval contexts, the capitán general held a rank far superior to a standard capitán, often wielding political power over entire colonies.
Examples in context
- Este es el capitán.This is the captain.This sentence is useful for identifying a captain.Tatoeba #4329343 by pchamorro, translation #2548145 by CK
- El capitán ordenó silencio.The captain commanded silence.This sentence demonstrates a captain giving a command.Tatoeba #1331707 by marcelostockle, translation #63176 by rul
- Él es el capitán del equipo.He is the captain of the team.This sentence shows the use of the word for a sports team leader.Tatoeba #1265492 by marcelostockle, translation #291710 by CK
- ¡Buenos días, capitán! ¿Cómo puedo ayudarle?Good morning, captain! How can I assist you?
- Mi padre es comandante en la Marina.My father is a captain in the Navy.
- ¡Hola, capitán! ¿Cómo está la tripulación hoy?Hello, captain! How is the crew today?
- El patrón es un experimentado capitán.The patrón is an experienced captain.
- 64 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are on a boat trip.
- Elena¿Dónde está el capitán del barco?Where is the captain of the boat?
- AlejandroEl capitán está en el puente.The captain is on the bridge.
- ElenaQuiero hacerle una pregunta sobre el rumbo.I want to ask him a question about the course.
- AlejandroSeguro que el capitán te ayudará, Elena.I'm sure the captain will help you, Elena.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “captain” translations and entries capitán, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries capitán, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
