队长

• Pinyin: duì zhǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 队 (duì) — team; 长 (zhǎng) — chief, leader

Meaning

Team captain; team leader. The person in charge of a team or group.

Can refer to the captain of a sports team, the leader of a work team, or any group leader. A common position in schools, sports, and workplaces in China.

Examples

1. 他是我们足球队的队长。 He is the captain of our football team.
2. 队长决定明天几点出发。 The captain decided what time to set off tomorrow.
3. 大家选她当了新的队长。 Everyone chose her to be the new team captain.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, school, organisations

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 队长，我们今天练什么？(Captain, what are we practising today?)
• 他当了三年的队长。(He was team captain for three years.)

Don't Say

• 不要把'队长'用于公司领导 — 队长 is for sports teams, activity groups, or small units. For company leaders, use 领导, 经理, or 主管.

Origin & History

Compound of 队 (team) and 长 (chief, leader). Literally 'team chief.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal