der Mut
courage
The ability and willingness to do something difficult or risky despite fear or danger; bravery.
EXAMPLE
Es erforderte viel Mut, dem Chef die eigene Meinung zu sagen.
It took a lot of courage to tell the boss your own opinion.
der Mut
courage
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Meanings
den Mut haben, etwas zu tun
to have the courage
To dare to carry out a specific action that is felt to be challenging or frightening.
EXAMPLE
Sie hatte endlich den Mut, ihren Job zu kündigen und sich selbstständig zu machen.
She finally had the courage to quit her job and become self-employed.
den Mut verlieren
to lose courage
To lose confidence and bravery because of difficulties or setbacks; to become discouraged.
EXAMPLE
Auch nach mehreren Absagen darfst du nicht den Mut verlieren und musst es weiter versuchen.
Even after several rejections, you must not lose courage and have to keep trying.
Usage tips
Word family
'Der Mut' belongs to a word family. The related adjective is 'mutig' (brave). The verb 'jemanden ermutigen' means to encourage someone.
EXAMPLE
Sie ist ein sehr mutiges Mädchen.
She is a very brave girl.
Use without an article
'Mut' is an uncountable noun and is often used without an article, especially in the fixed expression 'Mut haben' (to have courage). So you say 'Er hat Mut' (He has courage), not 'Er hat einen Mut'.
EXAMPLE
Man braucht viel Mut, um vor so vielen Menschen zu sprechen.
You need a lot of courage to speak in front of so many people.
Typical collocations
There are several fixed expressions with 'Mut'. Common ones are 'Mut fassen' (to take heart), 'jemandem Mut machen' (to encourage someone), and 'seinen ganzen Mut zusammennehmen' (to summon all one's courage).
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Schock musste sie erst wieder Mut fassen.
After the shock, she first had to take heart again.
Sentence structure and usage pattern
This expression is typically followed by an infinitive construction with 'zu'. It follows the pattern: 'den Mut haben, etwas zu tun' (to have the courage to do something).
EXAMPLE
Er hatte nicht den Mut, die Wahrheit zu sagen.
He did not have the courage to tell the truth.
Compare with
Mut vs Herz
heart
Both words can express determined action despite a difficult situation. Mut is the general ability and willingness to face a challenge; Herz is used for this mainly in the figurative expression „sich ein Herz fassen“ and can sound more personal. Use Mut in general and Herz in this fixed expression.
Mut
Trotz seiner Angst hatte er den Mut, den Arzt anzurufen.
Despite his fear, he had the courage to call the doctor.
Herz
Nach langem Zögern fasste sie sich ein Herz und rief den Arzt an.
After hesitating for a long time, she summoned the courage to call the doctor.
In real life
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