Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 勇敢な | yūkan na | |
| 勇気ある | yūki aru | |
| 勇猛な | yūmō na | |
| 雄々しい | ooshii | [o̞ːɕiː] (narrow) |
The various forms of 'brave' in Japanese differ based on whether you are describing a person's character, a specific decision or a sense of virility. While all forms generally relate to being strong in the face of fear, some emphasize ferocity or poetic manliness.
Which one should you use?
勇敢な describes a person's character or a specific act of bravery. In contrast, 勇気ある literally means 'one who possesses courage' and is often used to describe a person's qualities or a specific decision. If you want to convey that someone is both brave and fierce or aggressive, use 勇猛な, which is common in military or historical contexts. Finally, 雄々しい is a more literary or poetic term that emphasizes a 'manly' or 'virile' type of bravery.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form 勇敢な is a na-adjective, which means it requires な when directly modifying a noun.
How do you pronounce it?
yūkan na
Did you know?
- The word 勇気 'courage' is often paired with the verb 出す 'to put out' or 'to take out'. In Japanese, you do not just 'have' courage, but you actively 'bring it out' from within yourself.
- The term 雄々しい uses the kanji 雄, which refers to a male animal, making the concept of 'bravery' in this context inseparable from traditional notions of masculinity.
- In traditional Japanese ethics, the 'bravery' of 勇敢な is often balanced against 謙虚 'humility'. To be brave without being humble is sometimes viewed as mere recklessness rather than true strength.
Examples in context
- 彼は勇敢な男だ。He is a brave man.This sentence uses 勇敢な to describe a man.Tatoeba #99348 by bunbuku, translation #304349 by CK
- トムは勇敢な男だった。Tom was a brave man.Tatoeba #2694305 by tommy_san, translation #5394342 by Hybrid
- 彼は勇敢な兵士でした。He was a brave soldier.This sentence uses 勇敢な to describe a soldier.Tatoeba #1457465 by marcelostockle, translation #1457462 by CK
- 彼は勇敢な戦士です。He is a brave warrior.
- 彼女は勇気を持って挑戦します。She challenges herself with courage.
- 彼は果敢に新しいアイデアを提案した。He bravely suggested a new idea.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a character in a movie.
- 陽葵 Himariあの主人公はとても勇敢なキャラクターですね。Ano shujinkou wa totemo yuukanna kyarakutaa desu ne.That protagonist is a very brave character, isn't he?
- 蓮 Renはい、彼はとても勇敢な行動をしました。Hai, kare wa totemo yuukanna koudo wo shimashita.Yes, he took very brave actions.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さんもあんな風に勇敢になりたいですか？Ren-san mo anna fuu ni yuukan ni naritai desu ka?Ren, do you want to be brave like that too?
- 蓮 Renはい、いつかあんな風に強くなりたいです。Hai, itsuka anna fuu ni tsuyoku naritai desu.Yes, I want to become strong like that someday.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brave” translations and entries 雄々しい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
