Brave — willing to do something even though it frightens you. Brave and courageous mean the same thing, but they don't feel the same, and that difference is worth having.

Brave — willing to do somethingBrave——願意去做某件事， even though it frightens you就算會讓你害怕。 Brave and courageousBrave跟courageous mean the same thing意思一樣， but但 they don't feel the same感覺不一樣， and而 that difference is worth having這個差異值得認識。

Brave is the everyday word, and it works for anything: a brave dog, a brave little boy at the dentist. Courageous is heavier and more formal, and it usually attaches to something that took a decision — someone thought about the danger, understood it, and went ahead anyway.

Brave is Brave是 the everyday word日常會用的字， and而 it works for anything什麼都可以用： a brave dog, a brave little boy at the dentista brave dog、a brave little boy at the dentist。 Courageous isCourageous heavier and more formal比較重、比較正式， and而 it usually attaches to something that took a decision通常用在需要下決定的事情上—— someone thought about the danger某人想過危險、 understood it理解了危險、 and還是 went ahead anyway決定去做。

So a soldier running into fire is brave; a person who reports her own company for cheating is courageous. It's the word for moral bravery especially, the kind where you lose something by being right.

So所以 a soldier running into fire衝進火線的士兵 is brave是brave； a person who reports her own company for cheating舉報自己公司作弊的人 is courageous則是courageous。 It's the word for moral bravery especially這個字特別是用在道德上的勇敢， the kind where you lose something by being right就是那種因為做對的事而失去了什麼的勇敢。

Because it's the weightier word, it turns up in awards, speeches, obituaries, and news writing. In casual conversation, brave is what people actually say.

Because因為 it's the weightier word它是比較重的字， it turns up常常出現 in awards, speeches, obituaries, and news writing在頒獎、演講、訃聞，還有新聞寫作裡。 In casual conversation在日常對話裡， brave is what people actually say人們實際上會說的是brave。

One more thing: English speakers often use courageous slightly ironically to mean "risky and probably unwise." "That's a courageous decision" said in a flat voice means "you're going to regret that." Listen to the tone. The noun is courage, the adverb courageously.

One more thing還有一件事： English speakers英文使用者 often use courageous slightly ironically常常會帶點反諷地用courageous to mean意思是 "risky and probably unwise"「有風險、大概不太明智」。 "That's a courageous decision"「That's a courageous decision」 said in a flat voice用平淡的語氣說 means意思其實是 "you're going to regret that"「你會後悔的」。 Listen to the tone要注意語氣。 The noun is courage名詞是courage， the adverb courageously副詞是courageously。