brave / bold
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brave
The quality of overcoming fear or danger and acting decisively. It describes people or actions that show no fear even though the situation is difficult.
Es war sehr mutig von dir, ihm die Wahrheit zu sagen.
It was very brave of you to tell him the truth.
bold
Describes something that is unconventional, daring, or innovative and deviates from established norms, for example in art or design.
Die Architektin ist bekannt für ihre mutigen Entwürfe.
The architect is known for her bold designs.
The adjective 'mutig' (brave) is derived directly from the noun 'der Mut' (courage). The ending '-ig' means 'having' or 'full of'. So someone who is mutig has courage.
Der Junge hatte den Mut, auf den hohen Baum zu klettern.
The boy had the courage to climb the tall tree.
To say who is acting bravely, the construction 'Es ist mutig von + [person in the dative]' is often used. It is usually followed by a subordinate clause with 'dass' or an infinitive with 'zu'.
Es ist mutig von ihm, seine Meinung offen zu sagen.
It is brave of him to state his opinion openly.
When 'mutig' (brave) describes a person or their action, it means 'fearless'. But when it refers to things like art, design, or a decision, it means 'unconventional' or 'daring'.
Die Feuerwehrleute waren sehr mutig.
The firefighters were very brave.
In the meaning of 'unconventional', 'mutig' (bold) is often combined with nouns such as 'Entscheidung' (decision), 'Design' (design), 'Farbe' (color), or 'Plan' (plan).
Das Unternehmen traf die mutige Entscheidung, in eine neue Technologie zu investieren.
The company made the bold decision to invest in a new technology.
bold
When describing unusual ideas or designs, mutig and kühn can both praise a departure from the norm. Mutig tends to emphasize the conscious decision to do something unusual, while kühn additionally suggests exceptional scope or a surprising, daring impression. For a strong impact, kühn is therefore often the better choice.
Die Designerin traf eine mutige Entscheidung und verwendete ungewöhnliche Farben für das neue Logo.
The designer made a bold decision and used unusual colors for the new logo.
Die Designerin entwarf ein kühnes Logo, das mit seiner ungewöhnlichen Form alle überraschte.
The designer created a daring logo whose unusual shape surprised everyone.
