HeyRuaHow to say “captain” in Irish
- Irish:
- captaen
- English:
- captain
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- masculine, first declension
- Pronunciation:
- “kap-TAYN” /kapˈteːn̪ˠ/
- Plural:
- captaein (captains)
- Genitive singular:
- captaein, an chaptaein (e.g. cábán an chaptaein, the captain's cabin)
- Genitive plural:
- captaen, na gcaptaen (e.g. cruinniú na gcaptaen, the captains' meeting)
What does “captaen” mean?
“Captaen” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- captain
- The person in command of a ship, boat or aircraft.Also: skipper, ship's captain, commander.
2 other meanings:
- 2captain
- A military officer of the rank of captain.Also: army captain, officer.
- 3captain
- The leader of a sports team who makes decisions on the field.Also: team captain, skipper.
“Captaen” with the article
The plural of captain in Irish is captaein. Here is captaen after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Captaen” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using captaen, the Irish word for captain.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Captain in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for captain?
The Irish for captain is captaen (pronounced “kap-TAYN”). It’s a masculine noun and the plural is captaein.
How do you pronounce captaen in Irish?
Captaen is said like “kap-TAYN” (IPA /kapˈteːn̪ˠ/).
What is the plural of captain in Irish?
The plural of captaen is captaein; with the article, na captaein means “the captains”. The genitive plural is captaen, as in cruinniú na gcaptaen (the captains' meeting).
Why does captaen change to chaptaen or gcaptaen?
Irish changes the start of some words after certain words. After mo (my) captaen becomes mo chaptaen (lenition), and after ár (our) or i (in) it becomes ár gcaptaen (eclipsis).
Is there another word for a ship's captain?
Yes, 'scipéir' is used for the skipper of a smaller boat, while 'captaen' is the general word for a captain of a ship, team or army unit.
