Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 明星 | míngxīng |
| 名人 | míngrén |
| 名士 | míngshì |
| 名流 | míngliú |
The term for celebrity in Chinese depends on the field of fame. While some terms refer to general fame, others are specific to the entertainment industry or social status.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 明星 literally means 'bright star'.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the type of person being described. 明星 is used specifically for celebrities in the entertainment industry, such as actors or singers. In contrast, 名人 is a more general term for a famous person, which can include people in politics, science or any other field. 名流 refers to celebrities within high society or the social elite, often implying wealth and status. Additionally, 红人 often refers to popular figures on social media platforms or those who have gained a significant following.
How do you pronounce it?
míngxīng
Did you know?
- Fans of 明星 often refer to themselves as 粉丝, which is a phonetic loanword from the English 'fans' but sounds like 'fen si' (vermicelli noodles).
- A person who is a 'celebrity' in a negative or scandalous way is often described as 出名 (famous) but with the modifier 臭, meaning 'stinky'.
- While 明星 means 'bright star', the word for 'starstruck' in Chinese is 追星, which literally means 'chasing stars'.
Examples in context
- 你现在是名人了。You're a celebrity now.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 名人 to describe someone's current status.Tatoeba #6089775 by verdastelo9604, translation #2546244 by CK
- 湯姆是名人。Tom is a celebrity.This sentence shows how to use 名人 to identify a specific person's status.Tatoeba #10461323 by DaoSeng, translation #1531892 by Spamster
- 他是一位电影名人。He is a movie celebrity.
- 她是一位国际知名的明星。She is an internationally renowned celebrity.
- 我听说今天会有几个大咖来参加演讲。I heard that several celebrities will come to attend the speech today.
- 这个红人在抖音上有百万粉丝。This celebrity has millions of fans on Douyin.
- 他是一位很有名的明星。Tā shì yī wèi hěn yǒu míng de míngxīng.He is a very famous celebrity.
Example conversation
Yuting and Zhiqiang are watching a movie together.
- 雨婷 Yuting这个明星演得太棒了！Zhège míngxīng yǎn de tài bàng le!This celebrity acts so well!
- 志强 Zhiqiang我也觉得，他非常有才华。Wǒ yě juéde, tā fēicháng yǒu cáihuá.I think so too, he is very talented.
- 雨婷 Yuting你觉得成为明星累吗？Nǐ juéde chéngwéi míngxīng lèi ma?Do you think being a celebrity is tiring?
- 志强 Zhiqiang肯定很累，没有私人时间。Kěndìng hěn lèi, méiyǒu sīrén shíjiān.Definitely, they have no private time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “celebrity” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
