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VOA名师答疑2022--Famous v. Popular

时间:2023-01-03 02:25:29

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(单词翻译)

Famous v. Popular

Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question from Mohammadreza from Iran about the difference between "famous" and "popular."

Question:

Dear VOA teachers,

Would you please let us know difference between the words "popular" and "famous," and how to use them in our day-to-day speech?

Thanks,

Mohammadreza

Answer:

Dear Mohammadreza,

Thanks for writing to us and asking this question.

Famous and popular are both adjectives1. The words may seem similar, but their meanings are very different.

Let's start with famous.

Famous

"Famous" means known or recognized by many people. We often use the word when describing people.

For example, movie actors, singers and professional athletes can be described as famous.

For example: Taylor Swift2 is a famous singer-songwriter.

Some famous people are known to people around the world. Others may be famous in their home country.

Places can be famous, too. For example, the Eiffel Tower in France and the pyramids in Egypt are very famous.

Popular

Now let's talk about popular. "Popular" means liked or enjoyed by many people.

One way we use "popular" is to talk about trends like "popular fashion" or "popular styles."

For example:

The bucket hat was a popular trend in the 1990s, and now younger generations are wearing it again today.

We also use popular to talk about people. For example, there are "popular students" at school. These people are generally well-liked by people in their class. They are not famous, though. People outside of the school probably do not know who they are.

Places can also be described as popular. If we describe a place as popular, we mean a lot of people like to go there.

The difference

"Famous" and "popular" mean different things. Just because someone is popular does not mean the person is famous. And some famous people might not be especially popular.

Let us compare these two examples:

This restaurant is famous.

In this example, we are saying that many people know about this restaurant. Maybe it has become known for a special kind of food it serves. Maybe it appeared on a television show.

This restaurant is popular.

In this example, we are saying that many people go to the restaurant. But it may just be the local population that knows about it.

Please let us know if these examples and explanations have helped you, Mohammedreza!

What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at [email protected]

And that's Ask a Teacher.

Words in This Story

athlete – n. a person who is trained or skilled3 in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility4, or stamina5

fashion — n. a popular way of dressing6 during a particular time or among a particular group of people

style – n. a method, manner, or quality that is felt to be very respectable, fashionable, or proper


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1 adjectives 3e63e25a20ab7d8ada2ada3ea2ad0366     
n.形容词( adjective的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • We can form nouns from adjectives. 我们可以用形容词来构成名词。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Attributive adjectives precede the noun. 定语形容词位于名词前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 swift BH5zE     
n.雨燕,大滚筒;adj.迅速的,快的,敏捷的,立刻的;adv.迅速地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He is swift to hear,but slow to speak.他听力敏锐,但不善言辞。
  • He made a remarkably swift recovery.他康复得相当快。
3 skilled 7iTzD3     
adj.(in)熟练的,有技能的;需要技能的
参考例句:
  • Unskilled workers usually earn less money than skilled workers.无技能的工人通常比有技能的工人挣钱少。
  • She was skilled enough in French to translate a novel.她法语娴熟,足以翻译小说。
4 agility LfTyH     
n.敏捷,活泼
参考例句:
  • The boy came upstairs with agility.那男孩敏捷地走上楼来。
  • His intellect and mental agility have never been in doubt.他的才智和机敏从未受到怀疑。
5 stamina br8yJ     
n.体力;精力;耐力
参考例句:
  • I lacked the stamina to run the whole length of the race.我没有跑完全程的耐力。
  • Giving up smoking had a magical effect on his stamina.戒烟神奇地增强了他的体力。
6 dressing 1uOzJG     
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料
参考例句:
  • Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
  • The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

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