Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| célébrité | /se.le.bʁi.te/ | feminine |
| people | /pi.pɔl/ /pi.pœl/ |
feminine, masculine |
The term célébrité refers to a famous person. It can also be used in a more abstract sense to mean the concept of fame or renown.
Which one should you use?
While célébrité refers specifically to a person's status, it can also mean the abstract concept of fame. Other forms include personnalité connue and personnalité publique, which are more descriptive. For informal situations, you might use star or vedette.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec, the term vedette is used more frequently as a synonym for célébrité.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun célébrité is feminine. Because of this, it is always preceded by the feminine articles la or une, regardless of the actual gender of the person being discussed.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of célébrité is /se.le.bʁi.te/. It has 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word people used in French to describe celebrities is a reborrowing. It comes from the American magazine 'People', which originally derived its name from the Old French word peuple.
- In France, calling someone une personnalité is a common way to describe a celebrity. It is often used by journalists to sound more respectful or sophisticated than simply using the word 'star'.
- In Québec, vedette is the standard term for a celebrity in the entertainment industry, whereas in France, it can sometimes feel slightly dated compared to star.
Examples in context
- Sami était une célébrité.Sami was a celebrity.This sentence is useful for showing how to use célébrité to describe a person's status.Tatoeba #6594406 by GB3, translation #6593200 by OsoHombre
- Tom est déjà une célébrité.Tom is already a celebrity.This sentence shows how to use célébrité to state that someone has already achieved fame.Tatoeba #9157323 by Julien_PDC, translation #7733037 by CK
- Il est une sorte de célébrité.He is something of a celebrity.This sentence demonstrates how to use célébrité when describing someone as a certain type of famous person.Tatoeba #1349986 by sacredceltic, translation #291747 by CK
- Beaucoup de personnalités connues assistaient à la soirée de gala.Many celebrities were attending the gala evening.
- As-tu vu la nouvelle star qui est apparue sur scène hier soir?Did you see the new star who appeared on stage last night?
- Cette vedette de la chanson a vendu des millions de disques dans les années 80.This singing star sold millions of records in the 80s.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are talking about a movie star at a cafe.
- NathanCette célébrité est vraiment très belle.This celebrity is really very beautiful.
- ManonOui, elle est magnifique.Yes, she is magnificent.
- NathanEst-ce que tu l'as déjà vue en vrai ?Have you ever seen her in person?
- ManonNon, malheureusement non.No, unfortunately not.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “celebrity” translations and entries célébrité, people, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries célébrité, people, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
