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Prepositions after adjectives

Brave of or brave in?

Brave commonly appears with of before a person and action. Brave in is possible when referring to an area or activity.

Quick answer

Use brave of for actions by a person

Brave of + person + to-infinitive comments on someone's action. Brave in refers to the area or situation where courage is shown.

It was brave of her to speak publicly.
He was brave in battle.
That was brave of you to admit the mistake.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
brave of + person + to-infinitive

Judging someone's action

Use this pattern to comment that an action required courage.

It was brave of them to continue.
2
brave in + activity

Showing courage in a situation

Use brave in before a field, situation, or activity.

She was brave in the face of criticism.
3
brave enough to + verb

Talking about sufficient courage

This pattern does not use a preposition after brave.

He was brave enough to ask for help.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
brave of
It was brave of him to apologise.
Comments on a person's courageous action.
brave in
The soldiers were brave in combat.
Describes courage within a situation or activity.
brave at
She is brave at work.
At introduces place here, not a standard adjective pattern.
brave with
He was brave with the children.
With shows company or context, not a fixed phrase.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using brave in before an infinitive

Use brave of before a person and infinitive clause.

✕ It was brave in her to complain. ✓ It was brave of her to complain.

Omitting the person after brave of

Brave of normally identifies who showed courage.

✕ It was brave of to speak up. ✓ It was brave of him to speak up.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. It was brave ___ Maya to report the issue.
2. The firefighters were brave ___ dangerous conditions.
3. She was brave enough ___ the truth.

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Frequently asked questions

Can brave in describe a person?

Yes. It describes the situation where the person showed courage, such as brave in battle.

Is brave of formal?

It is standard in both spoken and written English.

Can I say brave for?

Brave for is uncommon as a fixed adjective pattern and usually sounds unnatural.

bad, for, bad, of baffling to, for, in, as or of? bankrupt in, by, for, as or with? "barefoot in" or "barefoot on"? "bare of", "bare with" or "bare in"? "basic of" or "basic to"? beautiful in, with, on, for or to? beholden to, for or on? "beloved by", "beloved to" or "beloved of"? "bemused by" or "bemused at"? "beneficial to" or "beneficial for"? bereft of, at, by, in or without?

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