1.
lieutenant colonel (army/air force); commander (navy)
A senior military officer rank. In the army and air force, equivalent to lieutenant colonel; in the navy, equivalent to commander. Ranks above major (少佐) and below colonel (大佐).
中佐が作戦を説明した。
The lieutenant colonel explained the operation.
中佐に昇格して連隊の副官となった。
He was promoted to lieutenant colonel and became the regiment's adjutant.
その映画の主人公は陸軍中佐で、戦場での苦悩が描かれている。
The protagonist of the movie is an army lieutenant colonel, and his anguish on the battlefield is depicted.
中佐 is a senior military officer rank, equivalent to lieutenant colonel in the army/air force or commander in the navy.
RANK HIERARCHY (佐 tier):
- 少佐: major / lieutenant commander
- 中佐: lieutenant colonel / commander (this word)
- 大佐: colonel / captain (navy)
WORD FORMATION:
中 (middle) + 佐 (officer rank). The 佐 tier uses 少/中/大 prefixes for junior/middle/senior grades.
USAGE:
A lieutenant colonel typically commands a battalion-sized unit. This word appears frequently in historical accounts, war films, and military-themed fiction. In modern Japanese self-defense forces (自衛隊), the equivalent rank is 二等佐 (2nd-class officer).