Key Facts
- Hangul: 유명하다 (yumyeonghada)
- Meaning: famous
- Level: A2
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 유명하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Grammar: 이/가 marks the famous thing; (으)로 names what it is famous for, and 에서 names where it is famous.
- Usage: Pattern: 김치로 유명하다, the cause marker 으로/로 for what it is famous for.
What Does 유명하다 Mean?
유명하다 says that many people know something. 유명한 가수 is a famous singer and 이 식당은 아주 유명해요 means the restaurant is widely known.
To say what something is famous for, add 으로 or 로: 김치로 유명하다 is famous for kimchi. The word is about being known; popularity right now is a different idea.
How Do You Pronounce 유명하다?
Read as written: [유명하다]. In 유명합니다, the ㅂ becomes ㅁ before ㄴ, giving [유명함니다].
How Do You Use 유명하다 in a Sentence?
이 식당은 아주 유명해요.
This restaurant is very famous.
식당은 is the topic, and 아주 strengthens 유명해요.
유명한 배우를 만났어요.
I met a famous actor.
유명한 comes before 배우를, and 만났어요 puts the meeting in the past.
그 가수는 한국에서 유명했어요.
That singer was famous in Korea.
한국에서 says where the singer was known, and 유명했어요 puts it in the past.
The examples cover a place (유명해요), a person before a noun (유명한) and a fame that belongs to the past (유명했어요).
How Does Yumyeonghada Conjugation Work?
유명하다 is a 하다 adjective: 하 + 여 contracts to 해, giving 유명해요 and 유명했어요. The modifier is 유명한. 유명 on its own is only the root, so the 하다 is needed.
To say something is not famous, put 안 in front for 안 유명해요 or use the long negative 유명하지 않아요. The because-form is 유명해서, the if-form 유명하면, and the modifiers are 유명한 (now), 유명했던 (earlier) and 유명할 (later); the honorific polite form is 유명하세요.
유명하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 유명해요 | ||
| Polite past | 유명했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 유명할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 유명하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 유명합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 유명했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 유명할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 유명해 | ||
| Casual past | 유명했어 | ||
| Casual future | 유명할 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 유명하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 유명해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 유명하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 유명한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 유명했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 유명할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 유명해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 유명하지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 유명했어요 | [유명해써요] |
| Polite future | 유명할 거예요 | [유명할꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 유명하겠어요 | [유명하게써요] |
| Formal present | 유명합니다 | [유명함니다] |
| Formal past | 유명했습니다 | [유명핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 유명할 것입니다 | [유명할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 유명했어 | [유명해써] |
| Casual future | 유명할 거야 | [유명할꺼야] |
| Past modifier | 유명했던 | [유명핻떤] |
| Long negative | 유명하지 않아요 | [유명하지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 유명이에요
Correct: ✓ 유명해요
Why: 유명 is only the root of the adjective, so 유명이에요 does not mean 'is famous'. The descriptive form needs 하다, giving 유명해요.
Famous for What?
Pair the word with 으로 or 로 to name the reason: 김치로 유명하다. This is the pattern you will use most when talking about food, cities and artists. 인기 있다 means popular right now, while 유명하다 means widely known, so a place can be 유명하다 without being 인기 있다.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 유명하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 유명하다 |
|---|---|
| 인기 있다 | 인기 있다 means popular right now; 유명하다 means widely known. |
| 중요하다 | 중요하다 means important, not famous. |
Choosing a Restaurant on a Trip
A traveller asks a local about a restaurant. The exchange separates being famous generally from being known for a particular food.
Traveller
이 식당은 뭐로 유명해요?
I sikdangeun mworo yumyeonghaeyo?
What is this restaurant famous for?
Local
비빔밥으로 유명해요.
Bibimbabeuro yumyeonghaeyo.
It’s famous for bibimbap.
Traveller
전에도 유명했어요?
Jeonedo yumyeonghaesseoyo?
Was it famous before too?
Local
네. 예전부터 유명한 식당이에요.
Ne. Yejeonbuteo yumyeonghan sikdangieyo.
Yes. It’s a restaurant that has been famous for a long time.
뭐로 asks “for what?” in conversation. The answer names the dish with 으로. 유명했어요 asks about an earlier period, while 유명한 describes 식당 in the final answer. 예전부터 means “since long ago”, so the last line explicitly connects the restaurant’s earlier reputation with the present.
Famous for What, and Famous Where?
| Pattern | Meaning | What the marker supplies |
|---|---|---|
| 김치로 유명하다 | to be famous for kimchi | The reason for the reputation. |
| 비빔밥으로 유명하다 | to be famous for bibimbap | Another reason, after a consonant-ending noun. |
| 한국에서 유명하다 | to be famous in Korea | The place where people know it. |
| 유명한 배우 | a famous actor | A description before a noun. |
Use 로 after a vowel, as in 김치로. Use 으로 after most consonants, as in 비빔밥으로. A noun ending in ㄹ also takes 로. This marker names the feature that brings fame; 에서 instead identifies the setting or community where the reputation exists.
A singer may be known in one country without being known everywhere. 한국에서 유명하다 limits the claim to Korea. A restaurant can be famous for one dish without every dish being equally well known. Both markers help you make a useful, specific statement rather than simply calling something famous.
Where Will You Hear 유명하다?
Travel writing and food conversations use 유명하다 to introduce places with a reputation. 유명한 식당 tells you that a restaurant is well known. It is not a guarantee that you will like the food, that prices are low or that a table is available. Those are separate questions to ask before visiting.
Entertainment articles use 유명한 배우 and 유명한 가수 for established names. A famous person is not necessarily currently fashionable. 인기 있다 focuses on popularity or being liked; 유명하다 focuses on recognition. Someone can be widely recognised while dividing opinion.
In a conversation with a respected person, 유명하세요 can describe that person's reputation. When you describe a restaurant, 유명해요 or 유명합니다 is enough. Politeness to your listener and respect for the person being described are separate choices. A business does not need an honorific adjective simply because a customer is speaking politely.
What Makes 유명하다 Tricky?
The root 유명 cannot replace the whole adjective in an ordinary sentence meaning “is famous”. The page's correction 유명해요 keeps the descriptive ending. Before a noun, choose 유명한. Compare the two jobs: 유명해요 is a complete polite statement; 유명한 배우 identifies a kind of actor.
The contraction happens in 하다: 하여 becomes 해. The 명 syllable remains intact in 유명해요, 유명했어요 and 유명해서. The past form reports an earlier state; it does not by itself prove that the person or place is no longer famous. Words such as “before” or “now”, and the surrounding contrast, provide that information.
The table's future form 유명할 거예요 usually predicts a future reputation. It need not express a personal plan to become famous. When reading a forecast about a new singer, take the subject and situation into account instead of treating every future row as an intention.
Useful Words around Reputation
| Related word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 인기 | popularity | Concerns being liked or in demand. |
| 명성 | reputation, renown | A noun often found in written descriptions. |
| 맛집 | restaurant known for good food | A food recommendation term, rather than any famous place. |
| 명소 | notable place, attraction | Useful when talking about a destination's sights. |
The travel attractions vocabulary lesson teaches words for places people visit. Use 유명하다 to describe a place's reputation, then add the feature or location that makes your statement informative.
Mini Drill: Build a Precise Description
- Complete “famous for kimchi”: 김치___ 유명해요.
- Complete “famous for bibimbap”: 비빔밥___ 유명해요.
- Give the modifier in “a famous actor”.
- Change 유명해요 to the polite past.
Show drill answers
- 김치로 유명해요.
- 비빔밥으로 유명해요.
- 유명한 배우.
- 유명했어요.
Quick Self-Test
- Which marker names where someone is famous: 에서 or 로?
- Does 유명하다 guarantee that people like the famous person?
- Does 유명했어요 alone mean someone is no longer famous?
Show answers
- 에서 names the place.
- No. Recognition and popularity are different.
- No. It places fame in the past without settling the present situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say Famous for Kimchi?
김치로 유명해요.
Is 유명이에요 Correct?
No. 유명 is only the root of the adjective and is not used on its own for 'famous'; say 유명해요.
What Is the Polite Present?
유명해요.
How Do I Say a Famous Actor?
유명한 배우.
Which Words Are Related to 유명하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Continue with 중요하다 and 특별하다, which sit in the same word group. The forms of 유명하다 follow how 하다 becomes 해요 without exception. Use the Korean verb conjugator to build forms such as the past modifier, and the Korean verb dictionary for related describing words.