연예인
yeonyein[ˈjɘ(ː)ɲe̞in]
The English word 'celebrity' can be translated into Korean as 연예인 (yeonyein). Wiktionary also lists 유명인 (yumyeong'in) and 실레브리티 (sillebeuriti).
Meaning: famous person (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 연예인 | yeonyein | [ˈjɘ(ː)ɲe̞in] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 유명인 | yumyeong'in | [ˈju(ː)mjʌ̹ŋin] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 실레브리티 | sillebeuriti |
Korean uses different terms to describe a celebrity depending on whether you are referring to someone in the entertainment industry or simply a person who is widely known.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 연예인 literally means 'entertainer'.
Which one should you use?
유명인 is a general term for a famous person and can be applied to anyone well-known, such as politicians or scholars. In contrast, 연예인 refers specifically to those in the entertainment industry, such as actors and singers. There is also the loanword 실레브리티, which is a phonetic transcription of the English word.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term 연예인 is used universally in both South and North Korea.
How do you pronounce it?
yeonyein
Did you know?
- In Korean media, a celebrity who is particularly popular and beloved is often called a 국민 (gungmin) followed by their profession, such as 국민 MC. This literally translates to 'the nation's' host, implying they are a celebrity for the entire country.
- Korean distinguishes between 연예인 and 공인, where the latter refers to 'public figures' like politicians who are held to a much stricter moral and legal standard of conduct.
- Fans often use the slang term 덕후 to describe their obsessive devotion to a 연예인, a word derived from the Japanese translation of 'otaku'.
Examples in context
- 톰은 유명인사이다.Tom is a celebrity.This sentence is useful for demonstrating the use of 유명인.Tatoeba #10871966 by jpsncl, translation #1531892 by Spamster
- 인기인들의 인터뷰를 위해 출판사에 방문했습니다.We visited the publishing house for interviews with celebrities.
- 친구들과 함께 쇼핑몰에서 연예인을 만났어요!I met a celebrity at the shopping mall with my friends!
- 어제 텔레비전에서 유명 연예인이 출연했더라고!I saw a famous celebrity on TV yesterday!
- 그는 인기 있는 연예인이에요.geuneun ingi inneun yeonyeiniyeoyo.He is a popular celebrity.
- 연예인을 직접 보고 싶어요.yeonyeoineul jikjeop bogo sipeoyo.I want to see a celebrity in person.
Example conversation
Minji and Hyunwoo are talking about a TV show.
- 민지 Min-ji저 연예인 정말 멋있어요.jeo yeonyein jeongmal meosisseoyo.That celebrity is really cool.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo맞아요, 노래도 정말 잘해요.majayoyo, noraedo jeongmal jalhaeyo.You're right, they sing really well too.
- 민지 Min-ji현우 씨는 누구를 좋아해요?Hyunwoo ssineun nugureul joahaeyo?Hyunwoo, who do you like?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo저는 다른 연예인을 좋아해요.jeoneun dareun yeonyeineul joahaeyo.I like a different celebrity.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “celebrity” translations and entries 연예인, 유명인, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
