Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| berühmte Person | feminine | |
| Prominenter | /pʁɔmiˈnɛntɐ/ | masculine |
| Prominente | feminine | |
| Star | /ʃtaːr/ | masculine |
| Berühmtheit | feminine | |
| Celebrity | feminine | |
| Zelebrität | feminine | |
| Bekanntheit | /bəˈkanthaɪ̯t/ | feminine |
| berühmte Persönlichkeit | feminine |
German has several ways to refer to a famous person, ranging from neutral descriptions to more specific labels like Medienpersönlichkeit (media personality).
Which one should you use?
The term berühmte Person is a neutral description of a famous person. In contrast, Star specifically implies a high level of stardom, often within the entertainment industry. If you are reading media or journalism, you will frequently see the term Prominente, which is used in a more formal or professional context. While Star is informal, Prominente serves as a more professional way to refer to celebrities.
How does it change in a sentence?
This means their endings will change depending on the grammatical case and the gender of the person being described. The feminine noun Berühmtheit can describe the person themselves or refer abstractly to the state of being famous.
Did you know?
- The German word Star for a celebrity shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the Latin word sturnus meaning 'starling'.
- If you call someone a Zelebrität, you are using a direct phonetic adaptation of the English 'celebrity'. This is often used ironically or in a very flashy, media-heavy context to highlight the superficiality of fame.
- The German word for a celestial 'star' is Stern, which is a completely different word from the English loanword Star used for celebrities.
Examples in context
- Tom ist ein Prominenter.Tom is a celebrity.This sentence shows how to identify a male celebrity using Prominenter.Tatoeba #12600717 by mayabe, translation #1531892 by Spamster
- Ich bin keine Berühmtheit.I'm not a celebrity.This sentence uses Berühmtheit to deny being a celebrity.Tatoeba #2707643 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2707427 by Hybrid
- Du bist jetzt eine Berühmtheit.You're a celebrity now.This sentence uses Berühmtheit to state that someone is now a celebrity.Tatoeba #13795999 by Nins, translation #2546244 by CK
- Anna ist eine bekannte Berühmtheit in der Filmindustrie.Anna is a well-known celebrity in the film industry.
- Der Prominente wurde von vielen Fans erkannt.The celebrity was recognized by many fans.
- Hast du den neuen Star in dem Film gesehen?Have you seen the new celebrity in the movie?
- Der Promi hat gestern in einem Café gegessen.The celebrity ate at a café yesterday.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Maximilian are talking about a photo in a magazine.
- JuliaWer ist diese berühmte Person auf dem Foto?Who is this famous person in the photo?
- MaximilianDas ist ein bekannter Schauspieler aus den USA.That is a well-known actor from the USA.
- JuliaIch wollte schon immer eine berühmte Person treffen.I have always wanted to meet a famous person.
- MaximilianVielleicht klappt es ja eines Tages, Julia.Maybe it will happen one day, Julia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “celebrity” translations and entries Prominenter, Star, Berühmtheit, Bekanntheit, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Person, Star, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
