Question 1

Why do we say le capitaine de l'équipe instead of just translating "team captain"?

Accepted Answer

In French, you usually cannot stack nouns together to describe something like we do in English. Instead, you connect them with a preposition, most commonly de (of). So, you literally have to say "the captain of the team."

Question 2

Since capitaine ends in an "-e", why does it use le?

Accepted Answer

While many French words ending in "-e" are feminine, there are plenty of exceptions, and capitaine is traditionally a masculine noun. However, if the captain is a woman, it is perfectly correct to say la capitaine.

Question 3

Is équipe a masculine or feminine word?

Accepted Answer

Équipe is a feminine noun (une équipe). Because it starts with a vowel, the feminine word for "the" (la) drops its vowel and becomes l' for smoother pronunciation.

Question 4

Besides winning a match, how else can I use the verb gagner?

Accepted Answer

While it means "to win" in the context of a game, gagner is also the standard French verb for "to earn" when talking about money or time. For example, gagner sa vie means to earn a living.

Le capitaine de l'équipe a gagné le match.

Breakdown of Le capitaine de l'équipe a gagné le match.

Questions & Answers about Le capitaine de l'équipe a gagné le match.

Learn Le capitaine de l'équipe a gagné le match and more in French