duìzhǎng: 队长 - Captain, Team Leader

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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.

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.

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.

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.

队长 is a very common and practical word used in many different contexts.

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.

`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.