有名 vs 人気
JLPT N5 vocabulary · what is the difference?
有名 means many people know about it; 人気 means many people like it. Something can be 有名 for a terrible reason, but 人気 is always positive. Note also that 人気 is a noun, so you say 人気があります, not 人気な.
When to use each
有名
ゆうめい
Use 有名 when the name is known — a mountain, a shop, a person. It says nothing about whether people approve, so it attaches to scandals as easily as to achievements. It is a な-adjective: 有名な店.
この町はお寺で有名です。
このまちはおてらでゆうめいです。
This town is famous for its temples.
有名な店なので、いつも人が多いです。
ゆうめいなみせなので、いつもひとがおおいです。
It is a famous shop, so there are always a lot of people.
人気
にんき
Use 人気 when people actively like or favour something. It is a noun, not a な-adjective: 人気があります to state it, 人気のある before a noun, 人気が出る for becoming popular.
この歌手は若者に人気があります。
このかしゅはわかものににんきがあります。
This singer is popular with young people.
人気のあるゲームを買いました。
にんきのあるゲームをかいました。
I bought a popular game.
Sentences where only one works
その事件で有名になった人です。
そのじけんでゆうめいになったひとです。
He is the man who became famous because of that incident.
Known for something bad. 人気になった would say people came to like him, which is the opposite point.
この店は有名ですが、あまり人気がありません。
このみせはゆうめいですが、あまりにんきがありません。
This shop is well known, but it is not very popular.
The clearest proof they are different: everyone has heard of it, few actually like it.
子どもに人気のあるアニメです。
こどもににんきのあるアニメです。
It is an anime that is popular with children.
Who likes it is marked with に. 有名 would only say children have heard of it.
富士山は世界中で有名です。
ふじさんはせかいじゅうでゆうめいです。
Mount Fuji is famous all over the world.
Recognition rather than affection, so 有名 is the normal word for a landmark.
Common mistakes
人気な歌手です。
人気のある歌手です。
人気 is a noun, so it does not take な. Use 人気のある or 人気がある before the noun. 人気な does turn up in casual internet writing, but it is not accepted in exams or careful writing.
この歌手は人気です。
この歌手は人気があります。
Stating popularity needs the verb: 人気があります. 人気です alone is heard in advertising copy, but the full form is what to write.
彼は悪いことをして人気になった。
彼は悪いことをして有名になった。
Becoming known through wrongdoing is 有名になる. 人気になる would claim people came to like him for it.
Frequently asked questions
Can something be both 有名 and 人気?
Very often, and then either word is fine. 有名なラーメン屋 and 人気のラーメン屋 both make sense; the first stresses that people have heard of it, the second that people love it.
Why is 人気な wrong when it sounds like a な-adjective?
Because 人気 is a plain noun meaning "popularity". Grammatically it behaves like 元気 in 元気がある, not like 有名 in 有名な人.
How do I say something became popular?
人気が出る or 人気になる. For fame rather than affection, 有名になる.