有名(ゆうめい)

ゆうめい
na-adjective
famous, well-known
descriptive
1. famous, well-known
Widely known by many people. Can describe people, places, or things.
有名(ゆうめい)な店(みせ)だ。
It's a famous shop.
彼(かれ)は有名(ゆうめい)な歌手(かしゅ)です。
He is a famous singer.
有名な + noun
この料理(りょうり)は有名(ゆうめい)ですね。
This dish is famous, isn't it?
彼女(かのじょ)は世界(せかい)で一番(いちばん)有名(ゆうめい)な日本人(にほんじん)ピアニストの一人(ひとり)です。
She is one of the most famous Japanese pianists in the world.
この町(まち)は桜(さくら)で有名(ゆうめい)です。毎年(まいとし)春(はる)になると、大勢(おおぜい)の人(ひと)が見(み)に来(き)ます。
This town is famous for its cherry blossoms. Every spring, many people come to see them.
～で有名 = famous for ~

有名(ゆうめい) is a na-adjective meaning famous or well-known.

Writing

有(ゆう) (have) + 名(めい) (name) = "having a name" (notable)

Forms

  • 有名(ゆうめい)な + noun: famous (attributive)
  • 有名(ゆうめい)だ/です: is famous (predicate)
  • 有名(ゆうめい)じゃない: not famous
  • 有名(ゆうめい)だった: was famous

Common patterns

Antonym: 無名(むめい) (unknown, obscure)

〜で有名(ゆうめい) vs 〜として有名(ゆうめい):
で names what makes something famous — この町(まち)は桜(さくら)で有名(ゆうめい)です (famous for its cherry blossoms). として names the role or category it is famous in — 彼(かれ)は歌手(かしゅ)として有名(ゆうめい)です (famous as a singer, though he may do other things too).

Similar words

有名(ゆうめい) means many people know of it; 人気(にんき) means many people like it. The two come apart: a politician can be 有名(ゆうめい) without being 人気(にんき), and a neighborhood restaurant can be 人気(にんき) without being 有名(ゆうめい). 人気(にんき) is a noun, so it takes がある or 〜に人気(にんき)がある.

Register

有名(ゆうめい) itself is neutral — it can report unwelcome fame as easily as welcome fame, and 悪(わる)い意味(いみ)で有名(ゆうめい) (famous in a bad sense) is a common way to say notorious.

Related Words

Antonym: 無名(むめい) (unknown)
Compare: 人気(にんき) (popular vs merely known)
Related: 有名人(ゆうめいじん) (celebrity)
Compare: 名声(めいせい) (fame)
Compare: ポピュラー (popular, well-known)
Compare: 著名(ちょめい)な (well-known)
core
Added 2026.1.7 21:40 · Revised 2026.10.9 4:35
01000/01106_yuumei