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Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 队长 (duìzhǎng), which means “captain” or “team leader”. This versatile term is used everywhere in China, from the captain of a sports team (足球队长) to the leader of a work project or a police squad. This page breaks down its meaning, cultural significance, and practical use with over 10 example sentences, helping you understand the crucial role of a leader within a Chinese group context.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): duìzhǎng
Part of Speech: Noun
HSK Level: HSK 4
Concise Definition: The leader of a team, group, or squad; a captain.
In a Nutshell:队长 (duìzhǎng) is the go-to word for the person in charge of a specific, hands-on team. Think of any group (a 队, duì) that needs a leader (a 长, zhǎng) – that person is the 队长. It's a functional title that emphasizes responsibility for a group's performance, whether on the sports field, in an office project, or during a public service mission.
Character Breakdown
队 (duì): This character means “team,” “squad,” or “group of people.” The left-side radical 阝(fù) is often related to places or formations. You can picture it as a group of people organized together.
长 (zhǎng): This character has two pronunciations. As cháng, it means “long.” But here, as zhǎng, it means “chief,” “head,” “leader,” or “to grow.” This is a common suffix for leadership roles (like 班长, bānzhǎng, class monitor).
Together, 队长 (duìzhǎng) literally translates to “team-leader,” a straightforward and logical combination that is easy to remember.
Cultural Context and Significance
In Chinese culture, the role of a 队长 (duìzhǎng) is deeply tied to the concept of collectivism. While a Western “captain” might be seen as the star player or a heroic individual, the 队长 is fundamentally the person responsible for the team's harmony and collective outcome.
Responsibility over Glory: The 队长 bears the weight of the team's failures just as much, if not more, than they enjoy the credit for its successes. If the team performs poorly, the 队长 is often the first person expected to take responsibility. This contrasts with some Western contexts where blame might be distributed more evenly or focus on individual mistakes.
A Functional Leader, Not Just a Title: The role is less about abstract authority and more about practical management. The 队长 is expected to guide, organize, and represent the team. They are the primary point of contact and the one who makes crucial decisions on behalf of the group. This reflects a pragmatic approach to leadership that is common in Chinese society.
Practical Usage in Modern China
队长 is a very common and practical word used in many different contexts.
Sports: This is the most direct and common usage.
足球队长 (zúqiú duìzhǎng) - Soccer/Football captain
篮球队长 (lánqiú duìzhǎng) - Basketball captain
Work and Projects: In a business setting, it refers to the leader of a specific task force or project team.
项目队长 (xiàngmù duìzhǎng) - Project team leader
Public Service and Uniformed Groups:
消防队长 (xiāofáng duìzhǎng) - Firefighting team captain/leader
警察队长 (jǐngchá duìzhǎng) - Police squad leader
保安队长 (bǎo'ān duìzhǎng) - Head of security, security team leader
Informal and Social Use: It can be used informally or jokingly among friends to refer to the person organizing an activity.
“You bought all the tickets and booked the hotel, you are our trip's 队长!”
Connotation and Formality: The term is generally neutral and functional. It carries a positive connotation of capability and responsibility. It's used in both formal and informal speech.
Example Sentences
Example 1:
他是我们足球队的队长，踢得非常好。
Pinyin: Tā shì wǒmen zúqiú duì de duìzhǎng, tī de fēicháng hǎo.
English: He is the captain of our soccer team and plays exceptionally well.
Analysis: A classic example showing the most common use of 队长 in a sports context.
Example 2:
队长，我们下一步该怎么做？
Pinyin: Duìzhǎng, wǒmen xià yī bù gāi zěnme zuò?
English: Captain, what should we do next?
Analysis: This shows how 队长 is used as a form of direct address, similar to saying “Boss” or “Chief” to a leader.
English: You plan the trip, you're our captain now!
Analysis: An excellent example of the informal, slightly joking usage among friends.
Example 9:
队长的决定就是我们团队的决定。
Pinyin: Duìzhǎng de juédìng jiùshì wǒmen tuánduì de juédìng.
English: The captain's decision is the team's decision.
Analysis: This sentence reflects the authority and trust placed in the 队长 within a collectivist framework.
Example 10:
警察队长正在向他的队员分配任务。
Pinyin: Jǐngchá duìzhǎng zhèngzài xiàng tā de duìyuán fēnpèi rènwù.
English: The police squad leader is assigning tasks to his team members.
Analysis: This clearly shows the functional role of a 队长 in organizing and directing their team.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
`队长 (duìzhǎng)` vs. `经理 (jīnglǐ)`: This is a common point of confusion. A 队长 leads a *team* or *squad*, often for a specific task or function (e.g., a project team, a sports team). A 经理 (jīnglǐ) is a *manager* within a company's organizational chart, with broader departmental responsibilities. A project 队长 might report to a department 经理.
`队长 (duìzhǎng)` vs. Military `Captain`: This is a critical “false friend” distinction. The rank of Captain in an army (like the US Army or PLA) is 上尉 (shàngwèi). While an 上尉 might lead a team, their formal title is not 队长. Calling a military Captain 队长 would be incorrect and could be seen as disrespectful of their rank.
Correct: 他是篮球队的队长。 (Tā shì lánqiú duì de duìzhǎng.) - He is the basketball team's captain.
Correct: 他是军队里的一名上尉。 (Tā shì jūnduì lǐ de yī míng shàngwèi.) - He is a Captain in the army.
Incorrect: 他是军队里的一名队长。 (This is ambiguous and technically incorrect for describing rank.)
Related Terms and Concepts
队员 (duìyuán): Team member. The direct counterpart to 队长.
团队 (tuánduì): Team; group. A more modern and often corporate-sounding synonym for 队 (duì).
领导 (lǐngdǎo): Leader; leadership. A much broader and more formal term. A company's CEO is a 领导, but not a 队长.
班长 (bānzhǎng): Class monitor. The leader of a class (班). This follows the same “group + zhǎng” structure as 队长.
上尉 (shàngwèi): Captain (military rank). The correct term for an army captain, not to be confused with 队长.
教练 (jiàoliàn): Coach. The person who trains the team. The 教练 and 队长 work closely together, but have distinct roles.
负责人 (fùzérén): The person in charge/responsible person. A very general term that can sometimes overlap with 队长, but lacks the specific “team” context.