French Conversation · Level 112
59 words
French word
caporal
Pronunciation
IPA/kapoʁal/
Meaning
- masculine nouncorporal
Example
Le caporal a donné un ordre.
The corporal issued an order.
More examples
Dans l'armée, le caporal supervise un petit groupe.
In the army, the corporal supervises a small group.
Core concept
A uniformed junior leader at the head of a handful of soldiers.
Similar words
soldat: An ordinary soldier who serves and fights in the armed forces.
sergent: A noncommissioned officer who leads a small military unit.
officier: A senior military officer who commands a unit.
militaire: A person who serves in the military or performs military duties.
Definition in French
Titre militaire désignant un sous-officier de rang inférieur, souvent responsable d'un groupe de quelques soldats.
Word origin
French caporal was borrowed from Italian caporale, derived from capo, 'head', and ultimately from Latin caput.
Usage tips
- As a masculine noun, caporal takes un, and its plural is caporaux.