有名
famous; well-known
yǒumíng
What does 有名 mean?
有名 (yǒumíng) is the everyday Chinese adjective for 'famous' or 'well-known' — literally 'has + name.' It applies broadly: famous people, famous restaurants, famous places, famous brands. The standard pattern is 很有名 ('very famous') or X在Y很有名 ('X is famous in Y'): 这家饭店在北京很有名 ('this restaurant is famous in Beijing').
Two things English speakers should know: first, 有名 is structurally a verb-object compound (有 + 名 = 'has a name'), so to negate it you say 不太有名 ('not very famous') or 没什么名 in idiomatic speech, not 不有名 — the latter sounds wrong. Second, the more formal/written equivalent is 著名 (zhùmíng), which is used in news, biographies, and titles: 著名作家 ('famous writer'). In conversation, 有名 is what people actually say.
Character breakdown
to have; there is
name; fame; reputation
Memory hook: 'Has a name' — when everyone knows your name, you're famous.
Example sentences
他是个很有名的歌手。
Tā shì ge hěn yǒumíng de gēshǒu.
He's a very famous singer.
neutral
这家饭店在北京很有名。
Zhè jiā fàndiàn zài Běijīng hěn yǒumíng.
This restaurant is very famous in Beijing.
spoken
北京烤鸭世界有名。
Běijīng kǎoyā shìjiè yǒumíng.
Peking duck is world-famous.
neutral
这个地方不太有名，但是很漂亮。
Zhège dìfang bú tài yǒumíng, dànshì hěn piàoliang.
This place isn't very famous, but it's beautiful.
spoken
你听说过这个有名的故事吗？
Nǐ tīngshuō guo zhège yǒumíng de gùshi ma?
Have you heard this famous story?
neutral
Common phrases with 有名
Synonyms
Formal/written equivalent. 著名作家 ('famous writer') appears in news and biographies. 有名 is what you say in conversation. Same meaning, different register.
出名 ('to become famous') is the verbal form — the process of getting known. 他最近出名了 ('he became famous recently'). 有名 is the state of being famous.