Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| coraggioso | /ko.radˈd͡ʒo.zo/ /ko.radˈd͡ʒo.so/ |
| ardito | /arˈdi.to/ |
| baldo | /ˈbal.do/ |
| valoroso | /va.loˈro.zo/ /va.loˈro.so/ |
The term is used to describe someone who is strong in the face of fear.
Which one should you use?
While coraggioso is used for bravery in a general sense, ardito implies being daring, audacious or even reckless. If you want to describe someone as valiant or heroic, especially in combat or epic contexts, use valoroso. The word baldo can be used to mean bold, but it often carries a negative connotation of being impudent or insolent.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Sicilian dialect, the word Coragghiosu is used to mean brave.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective coraggioso changes its ending to match the gender and number of the subject: use coraggiosa for a female singular subject, coraggiosi for a masculine plural or mixed-gender group and coraggiose for a feminine plural group.
How do you pronounce it?
/ko.radˈdʒo.zo/ (4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable)
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the Italian word bravo to mean 'brave'. In Italian, bravo usually means 'skilled' or 'good', such as describing a good student or a good actor.
Did you know?
- The word baldo is a distant relative of the English word 'bold', as both stem from the Proto-Germanic word *balþaz.
- The suffix '-oso' in coraggioso and valoroso functions similarly to the English suffix '-ous' in 'courageous' or 'valorous'.
- The term valoroso is rarely used in daily conversation and is typically reserved for historical texts or epic poems about knights and ancient heroes.
Examples in context
- È un uomo coraggioso.He is a brave man.This sentence is useful for practicing the masculine singular form coraggioso.Tatoeba #1798216 by Guybrush88, translation #304349 by CK
- Lei è così coraggioso!You are so brave!This sentence shows how to use coraggioso when addressing someone.Tatoeba #2670128 by Guybrush88, translation #2669880 by Gulo_Luscus
- Tom è così coraggioso.Tom is so brave.This sentence demonstrates the use of coraggioso with a proper name.Tatoeba #5980718 by Guybrush88, translation #5758311 by CM
- È un uomo coraggiosoHe is a brave man
- Il suo intervento è stato audaceHis intervention was brave
- Il suo spirito intraprendente lo rende una persona coraggiosaHis enterprising spirit makes him a brave person
- Non era spaventato, anzi, era impavidoHe wasn't scared, on the contrary, he was brave
- Mi ha colpito la sua azione coraggiosaHis brave action impressed me
- 112 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Francesco are discussing a recent hiking trip through a stormy forest.
- SofiaFrancesco, sei stato molto coraggioso ieri nel bosco.Francesco, you were very brave yesterday in the woods.
- FrancescoGrazie, Sofia, ma ero solo molto spaventato.Thanks, Sofia, but I was just very scared.
- SofiaPerò hai affrontato la tempesta senza problemi.But you faced the storm without any problems.
- FrancescoHo solo cercato di non farti preoccupare.I just tried not to make you worry.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brave” translations and entries coraggioso, ardito, baldo, valoroso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ardito, baldo, coraggioso, valoroso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
