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tapfer
brave
Courageous and fearless in the face of danger, pain, or difficulties.
example
Der tapfere Ritter kämpfte gegen den Drachen.
The brave knight fought against the dragon.
tapfer
brave
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Meanings
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Usage tips
False friend
'Tapfer' (brave) means 'mutig' (courageous) and corresponds to the English 'brave'. Don't confuse it with the German word 'brav' (well-behaved), which means 'gut erzogen' (well brought-up) or 'artig' (obedient/well-behaved).
EXAMPLE
Die tapfere Frau rannte in das brennende Haus, um das Kind zu retten.
The brave woman ran into the burning house to save the child.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'mutig' (courageous), 'tapfer' (brave) often describes people or their actions in dangerous situations. Typical nouns are 'ein tapferer Soldat' (a brave soldier), 'eine tapfere Tat' (a brave deed), or 'ein tapferer Kampf' (a brave fight).
EXAMPLE
Für seine tapfere Tat erhielt er eine Medaille.
He received a medal for his brave deed.
Typical context
In the meaning 'geduldig ertragend' (patiently enduring), 'tapfer' (brave) is often used as praise for children or patients who get through an unpleasant situation without complaining. It expresses recognition of their strength.
EXAMPLE
Obwohl die Spritze wehtat, warst du ganz tapfer.
Even though the injection hurt, you were really brave.
Compare with
tapfer vs brav
well-behaved
'brav' and 'tapfer' are often confused because German 'brav' does not mean the same thing as the English word 'brave'. 'brav' means that someone is obedient or well-behaved, especially a child or an animal. 'tapfer' means that someone is brave or endures a difficult situation without complaining. So a child can be 'brav' because they wait quietly. They can be 'tapfer' because they show no fear at the doctor's. For courage, pain, or danger, 'tapfer' is the right word.
tapfer
Nach dem Sturz war Lisa sehr tapfer und weinte kaum.
After the fall, Lisa was very brave and hardly cried.
brav
Im Wartezimmer war das Kind die ganze Zeit brav und spielte leise.
In the waiting room, the child was well-behaved the whole time and played quietly.
In real life
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