der Kapitän
captain
The person who has command of a ship or airplane and bears responsibility for it.
EXAMPLE
Der Kapitän steuerte das Schiff sicher durch den Sturm.
The captain steered the ship safely through the storm.
der Kapitän
captain
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Meanings
der Kapitän
captain
The leader of a sports team, often identified by an armband.
EXAMPLE
Der Kapitän der Fußballmannschaft schoss das entscheidende Tor.
The captain of the soccer team scored the decisive goal.
Usage tips
Grammar trap: N-declension
'Der Kapitän' (captain) is a weak noun (N-declension). This means it takes the ending '-en' in all cases except the nominative singular.
EXAMPLE
Die Mannschaft vertraut dem Kapitän_en_.
The team trusts the captain.
Context clue
You can tell from context whether a ship/airplane captain or a sports captain is meant. Words like 'Schiff' (ship), 'Flugzeug' (airplane), or 'Crew' (crew) point to the commander, while 'Mannschaft' (team), 'Team' (team), or 'Spiel' (game) point to the athlete.
EXAMPLE
Der Kapitän der Nationalmannschaft gab nach dem Spiel ein Interview.
The captain of the national team gave an interview after the game.
Typical collocations
In a maritime or aviation context, 'Kapitän' (captain) is often connected with verbs like 'steuern' (to steer), 'navigieren' (to navigate), or 'das Kommando haben' (to have command). A typical location phrase is 'auf der Brücke' (on the bridge).
EXAMPLE
Der Kapitän hat das alleinige Kommando auf der Brücke.
The captain has sole command on the bridge.
Typical collocations
In a sports context, the most common combination is 'Kapitän der Mannschaft' (captain of the team). An important symbol is the 'Kapitänsbinde' (captain's armband), which the captain wears on the arm.
EXAMPLE
Er wurde zum neuen Kapitän der Mannschaft ernannt und trug stolz die Kapitänsbinde.
He was appointed the new captain of the team and proudly wore the captain's armband.
Compare with
Kapitän vs Pilot
pilot
Both words can refer to a person on an airplane. “Der Pilot” primarily refers to the person who flies the airplane, while “der Kapitän” emphasizes the person’s command role and responsibility. When the focus is on flying itself, “Pilot” is appropriate; when the focus is on overall responsibility, “Kapitän” is appropriate.
Kapitän
Der Kapitän trug während des gesamten Fluges die Verantwortung für die Passagiere.
The captain was responsible for the passengers throughout the entire flight.
Pilot
Der Pilot steuerte das Flugzeug sicher durch die Wolken.
The pilot safely flew the airplane through the clouds.
In real life
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