команди́р
komandírmasculine
The English word 'commander' is translated into Russian as команди́р (komandír). Wiktionary also lists военача́льник (vojenačálʹnik) and полково́дец (polkovódec).
Meaning: one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| команди́р | komandír | masculine |
| военача́льник | vojenačálʹnik | masculine |
| полково́дец | polkovódec | masculine |
| комма́ндер | kommándɛr | masculine |
The term is used to describe one who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization.
What does it mean word for word?
The term полково́дец is composed of the words for regiment/army and to lead, literally meaning 'one who leads the regiment'.
Which one should you use?
команди́р is the standard term for a commander of a specific unit or a person in charge of a mission. In contrast, военача́льник refers to a high-ranking military official or a general-level leader. For great historical or legendary military leaders and strategists, such as Napoleon or Alexander the Great, use the literary term полково́дец. Finally, комма́ндер is a loanword often used in specialized contexts like naval ranks or science fiction.
How does it change in a sentence?
All provided forms are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
komandír
Did you know?
- The term команди́р is the root for the common Russian word командиро́вка, which refers to a business trip rather than a military mission.
- In modern Russian slang, the word команди́р is often used as a friendly or respectful way to address a male peer or a stranger, similar to using 'boss' or 'chief' in English.
- Because the Russian language lacks a gender-neutral term for these roles, women in command positions are still typically referred to using the masculine forms команди́р or военача́льник.
Examples in context
- Генерал Иванов – талантливый командир.General Ivanov is a talented commander.
- Главнокомандующий вооруженными силами России дал первоочередное заданиеThe supreme commander of the Russian armed forces gave a top priority assignment.
- Команди́р отдал при́каз выступать.Komandir addal prikaz vystupat'.The commander gave the order to move out.
- Э́тот команди́р о́чень стро́гий.Etot komandir ochen' strogiy.This commander is very strict.
- Мы должны слуша́ться команди́ра.My dolzhny slushat'sya komandira.We must obey the commander.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “commander” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
