勇敢

• Pinyin: yǒng gǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 勇 = 甬 (phonetic) + 力 (force), brave; 敢 = 耳 (ear) + 攴 (strike), to dare/confront

Meaning

Brave; courageous. Describes someone who faces danger, difficulty, or fear without backing down.

A widely used positive adjective applicable to people, actions, and decisions. Can describe both physically dangerous acts (rushing into a fire) and emotionally difficult ones (speaking the truth). Less formal than 英勇, which implies exceptional heroism.

Examples

1. 她勇敢地站出来说出了事情的真相，让大家都很佩服。 She bravely came forward and spoke the truth, earning everyone's admiration.
2. 面对突如其来的困难，他选择勇敢地去应对，而不是逃避。 Faced with an unexpected difficulty, he chose to confront it courageously rather than run away.
3. 那个勇敢的小男孩看到有人落水，毫不犹豫地跳下去相救。 That brave little boy saw someone fall into the water and jumped in to save them without hesitation.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, inspirational

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 你真勇敢，能在这么多人面前演讲！(You're so brave to give a speech in front of so many people!)
• 我们要勇敢面对生活中的挑战。(We must face life's challenges with courage.)

Don't Say

• 用'勇敢'形容鲁莽或不顾后果的行为 (Don't use 勇敢 to praise reckless acts with no regard for consequences — 勇敢 implies thoughtful courage, not rashness; use 莽撞 for reckless behaviour)

Origin & History

A compound of 勇 (brave; 甬 phonetic + 力 force) and 敢 (to dare; depicts a hand gripping a weapon, to confront boldly). Together they mean to act with bold courage.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal