大尉(たいい)

たいい
noun
captain (army/air force); lieutenant (navy)
1. captain; lieutenant (military rank)
An officer rank above 中尉(ちゅうい) and below 少佐(しょうさ). In army and air force usage this corresponds to "captain"; in navy usage to "lieutenant." In the Self-Defense Forces the equivalent rank is called 一等陸尉(いっとうりくい)/一等海尉(いっとうかいい)/一等空尉(いっとうくうい).
彼(かれ)は大尉(たいい)に昇進(しょうしん)した。
He was promoted to captain.
大尉(たいい)が部隊(ぶたい)を率(ひき)いている。
A captain is leading the unit.
戦争映画(せんそうえいが)の主人公(しゅじんこう)は、陸軍(りくぐん)の若(わか)い大尉(たいい)だった。
The protagonist of the war film was a young army captain.

Compound of 大(たい) (great) + 尉(い) (officer of the lower commissioned ranks). The 尉(い) series of ranks comprises:

  • 少尉(しょうい): second lieutenant (lowest commissioned rank)
  • 中尉(ちゅうい): first lieutenant
  • 大尉(たいい): captain (army/AF) / lieutenant (navy)

Note on homophones: 大尉(たいい) is a homophone of 退位(たいい) (abdication). Context normally disambiguates.

USAGE NOTES:

  • Most often encountered in historical contexts, fiction (war films, novels), and discussion of foreign militaries
  • In the modern Japanese Self-Defense Forces, the rank is officially called 一等陸尉(いっとうりくい) (army), 一等海尉(いっとうかいい) (navy), 一等空尉(いっとうくうい) (air force) — often shortened to 一尉(いちい)
general
Added 2026.5.11 16:06
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