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Le commandant a quitté le navire.

Le commandant a quitté le navire.
The commander left the ship.
From Lesson 434:Professions and nationalities (il est / c'est un)·French

Questions & Answers about Le commandant a quitté le navire.

Since commandant is a profession, how would we say "He is a commander" versus "He is an excellent commander"?
To state someone's profession simply, use il est (or elle est) with no article, as in Il est commandant. But if you add an adjective to describe the profession, you must switch to c'est un, as in C'est un excellent commandant.
Why use a quitté here instead of est parti to say "left"?
The verb quitter is transitive, meaning it takes a direct object. It is followed directly by the place or person you are leaving, which is le navire in this sentence. If you used partir, you would need the preposition de because it is intransitive: Le commandant est parti du navire.
Could I use a laissé instead of a quitté in this sentence?
No, because laisser usually means to leave something behind physically (like your keys on a table) or in a certain state. When you mean departing from a physical place or parting from a person, quitter is the required verb.
What is the difference between le navire and le bateau?
Bateau is the general, everyday word for any boat. Navire refers specifically to a large ship, typically a sea-going vessel like a naval destroyer, cruise ship, or cargo ship. A high-ranking officer like a commandant would typically command a navire.

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