B2 verb #3,500 más común 2 min de lectura

brace

To get ready for something hard or to hold something steady.

Explicación a tu nivel:

To brace means to get ready. If you are going to fall, you brace your body. It helps you stay safe.

You use brace when you prepare for something bad. You might brace yourself for a cold wind. You can also brace a table so it does not shake.

In English, brace is used when you need to be strong. You brace yourself for bad news. Builders brace walls to make them stronger. It is about stability.

The verb brace implies both physical support and mental preparation. You brace for a shock or brace a structure with steel. It is a versatile word used in many contexts.

Beyond its literal sense of reinforcement, brace is often used figuratively. You might brace for a market crash or brace for a political fallout. It conveys a sense of impending pressure.

Etymologically linked to the arm, brace embodies the concept of 'holding' or 'encompassing.' In literary contexts, it signifies the act of gathering one's internal strength against external forces, showing a deep connection between physical posture and psychological fortitude.

Palabra en 30 segundos

  • Brace means to prepare for something difficult.
  • It also means to provide physical support.
  • Always use 'brace yourself' for mental preparation.
  • It comes from the word for 'arm'.

When you brace yourself, you are getting ready for something tough. Imagine you are on a boat and the waves are getting big; you might hold onto a railing to brace yourself against the movement. It is all about stability and preparation.

Beyond just preparing your body, you can also brace for bad news. This is a mental preparation where you steel your nerves to handle an unpleasant situation. In a construction context, bracing means adding extra support beams to a wall so it stays strong and doesn't fall down.

The word brace has a fascinating history. It comes from the Old French word bracer, which meant 'to embrace' or 'to hold in the arms.' This goes back even further to the Latin brachium, meaning 'arm.'

Historically, if you were holding something in your arms, you were essentially bracing it. Over time, the meaning shifted from the physical act of holding something with your arms to the idea of providing support or preparing for impact. It is a great example of how a word describing a body part evolved into a term for structural engineering and emotional readiness.

You will often hear brace used with the reflexive pronoun 'yourself.' For example, 'Brace yourself for the news.' This is very common in both casual conversation and news reporting.

In technical or professional settings, you might hear about bracing a structure. This is standard in architecture and carpentry. Whether you are talking about an emotional situation or a physical building project, the core idea of reinforcement remains the same.

1. Brace yourself: Used to warn someone that something unpleasant is coming. 2. Brace for impact: A command to prepare for a collision. 3. Brace against the wind: To lean into the wind to keep balance. 4. Brace up: To pull oneself together or gain courage. 5. Brace the nerves: To prepare for a stressful event.

As a verb, brace follows regular conjugation: braces, braced, bracing. It is often used transitively (brace the wall) or reflexively (brace yourself).

The pronunciation is /breɪs/. It rhymes with 'face,' 'case,' 'place,' 'space,' and 'trace.' The 'ce' at the end makes an 's' sound, which is a common pattern in English words ending in 'ce' after a long vowel.

Dato curioso

It came from the word for arm because you use your arms to hold things.

Guía de pronunciación

UK /breɪs/

Short 'a' sound, clear 's'.

EE.UU. /breɪs/

Similar to UK, crisp 's'.

Errores comunes

  • Pronouncing as 'braze'
  • Missing the 's' sound
  • Adding extra syllables

Rima con

face case place space trace

Nivel de dificultad

Lectura 2/5

Simple to read.

Escritura 2/5

Easy to use.

Expresión oral 2/5

Clear sound.

Escucha 2/5

Easy to hear.

Qué aprender después

Requisitos previos

prepare hold strong

Aprende después

reinforce fortify stabilize

Avanzado

buttress stiffen

Gramática que debes saber

Reflexive Verbs

I braced myself.

Imperative Mood

Brace the door!

Transitive Verbs

He braced the wall.

Ejemplos por nivel

1

I brace myself.

I prepare.

Reflexive.

2

Brace the wall.

Support it.

Imperative.

3

She braced her feet.

Steady feet.

Past tense.

4

We brace now.

Prepare now.

Present.

5

Brace the shelf.

Make it strong.

Verb.

6

He braced his arm.

Held it still.

Past.

7

Do not brace yet.

Wait.

Negative.

8

Brace for it.

Get ready.

Imperative.

1

Brace yourself for the cold.

2

The wood braced the roof.

3

I braced against the wall.

4

They braced for the storm.

5

Brace the legs of the chair.

6

We braced for the test.

7

He braced his back.

8

She braced her courage.

1

The structure was braced with steel.

2

Brace yourself for the bad news.

3

They braced against the strong wind.

4

The wall needs to be braced properly.

5

He braced his muscles for the lift.

6

We braced for a long journey.

7

She braced for the impact of the crash.

8

The bridge is braced by cables.

1

The company is bracing for a difficult quarter.

2

Brace yourself for a bumpy flight.

3

He braced his shaky hands against the table.

4

The rafters were braced to prevent sagging.

5

They braced for the inevitable criticism.

6

She braced her mind for the challenge ahead.

7

The building was braced against earthquakes.

8

We braced for the surge in demand.

1

The government is bracing for public outcry.

2

He braced himself against the tide of opinion.

3

The economy is braced for a period of instability.

4

She braced her resolve to finish the race.

5

The structure is braced to withstand high winds.

6

They braced for the fallout of the scandal.

7

He braced his nerves before the interview.

8

The foundation was braced to support the weight.

1

The nation braced itself for the impending transition.

2

He braced his spirit against the encroaching despair.

3

The timber frame was intricately braced.

4

She braced for the inevitable confrontation.

5

The city braced for the arrival of the hurricane.

6

They braced for the complexities of the new law.

7

His resolve was braced by the support of friends.

8

The architecture is braced by hidden iron rods.

Sinónimos

prepare fortify steady reinforce steel strengthen

Antónimos

Colocaciones comunes

brace yourself
brace for impact
brace against
braced for arrival
braced with steel
brace the wall
brace the nerves
braced for change
braced for fallout
braced for the surge

Modismos y expresiones

"brace oneself"

To prepare for something difficult.

Brace yourself, it's going to be a long day.

neutral

"brace for impact"

Prepare for a collision.

The ship braced for impact.

neutral

"brace up"

To gain courage.

You need to brace up and tell the truth.

casual

"brace the nerves"

To prepare for a stressful moment.

He braced his nerves before the speech.

formal

"brace against the tide"

To resist a strong force.

She braced against the tide of change.

literary

Fácil de confundir

brace vs braze

Sounds similar

Braze is for metal soldering

I will braze the pipes.

brace vs brace

Spelling

Brace is for support

Brace the wall.

brace vs brass

Similar sound

Brass is a metal

The horn is made of brass.

brace vs base

Similar sound

Base is a foundation

The base of the lamp.

Patrones de oraciones

A2

Brace yourself for [noun]

Brace yourself for the storm.

B1

Brace [object] with [material]

Brace the wall with steel.

B1

Brace against [noun]

He braced against the wind.

B2

Be braced for [noun]

We are braced for the change.

C1

Brace [object] to prevent [action]

Brace the shelf to prevent falling.

Familia de palabras

Sustantivos

brace A support device

Verbos

brace To support

Adjetivos

bracing Refreshing or invigorating

Relacionado

bracer tool for support

Cómo usarlo

frequency

7

Escala de formalidad

Formal (engineering) Neutral (daily life) Casual (warnings)

Consejos

💡

When to use it

Use it when something hard is coming.

💡

Reflexive use

Always use 'myself/yourself' when preparing.

💡

Rhyme it

Rhymes with face.

💡

Connect to 'arm'

Remember it comes from the word for arm.

💡

Don't skip 'for'

Always brace FOR something.

🌍

Aviation

Used in safety instructions.

💡

Refreshing

A bracing wind is a good thing!

💡

Action

Act it out when you say it.

💡

Context

Read news articles for usage.

💡

Verb forms

It is a regular verb.

Memorízalo

Mnemotecnia

Brace = Bring Ready And Calm Enough.

Asociación visual

A person holding a wall up with their arms.

Word Web

Support Preparation Strength Impact

Desafío

Use 'brace' in a sentence about your day.

Origen de la palabra

Old French / Latin

Significado original: Arm

Contexto cultural

None

Common in news to describe economic or political preparation.

Brace for Impact (aviation term)

Practica en la vida real

Contextos reales

Construction

  • brace the frame
  • steel bracing
  • structural support

Emergency

  • brace for impact
  • brace yourself
  • stay braced

Daily Life

  • bracing weather
  • bracing walk
  • brace for news

Business

  • brace for market changes
  • brace for competition

Inicios de conversación

"How do you brace yourself for a busy day?"

"Have you ever had to brace for bad news?"

"What is the most bracing activity you enjoy?"

"Why is it important to brace a building?"

"Do you find the word 'brace' useful?"

Temas para diario

Write about a time you had to brace yourself.

Describe a situation that required you to be mentally braced.

If you were building a house, where would you add braces?

How does a 'bracing' walk make you feel?

Preguntas frecuentes

8 preguntas

Yes, it can be a tool used for support.

No, use 'brace yourself'.

It is neutral and commonly used.

Mostly, but brace implies a difficult or unpleasant situation.

It means a walk that is refreshing and energizing.

Only if you are physically holding them steady.

Yes, to brace for a tackle.

Like 'base' with an 'r'.

Ponte a prueba

fill blank A1

I ___ myself for the jump.

¡Correcto! No del todo. Respuesta correcta: braced

Past tense for an action already done.

multiple choice A2

What does 'brace' mean?

¡Correcto! No del todo. Respuesta correcta: To prepare

Brace means to prepare.

true false B1

Brace is only used for buildings.

¡Correcto! No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Falso

It is also used for mental preparation.

match pairs B1

Word

Significado

¡Todo emparejado!

These are synonyms.

sentence order B2

Toca las palabras de abajo para formar la oración
¡Correcto! No del todo. Respuesta correcta:

Correct structure is 'brace yourself for the news'.

Puntuación: /5

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