indimi

kapteni

kah-PTEH-nee

How to say it

Swahilikaptenikah-PTEH-nee
Englishcaptain
Frenchcapitaine

Meaning

An officer rank in the army, above lieutenant, and the person in command of a ship or aircraft; also the leader of a sports team.

Good to know

N class noun, the plural is also kapteni; used as a title: Kapteni mstaafu, retired captain. For a ship or team, nahodha is the older Swahili word.

Examples

  • Kapteni aliwaongoza askari wake mpakani.The captain led his soldiers to the border.
  • Kapteni wa ndege aliwakaribisha abiria.The captain of the plane welcomed the passengers.
  • Wachezaji walimchagua kiungo wao kuwa kapteni mpya.The players chose their midfielder as the new captain.

The same word in

Not yet checked by a native speaker.

Open in the dictionary ›More Swahili words from K ›