# Swedish:  känd vs bekant



## merryweather

< Topic:  Is there a big difference between the words "känd" and "bekant"?
Please include topic in first post.  Cagey, moderator. >

I have come across these words quite often and was wondering to what extent they can be regarded as synonyms.

Secondly, would your answer also be true for the two words "obekant" and "okänd"?


----------



## merryweather

PS
I have looked via the search function but didn't find anything yet.


----------



## MattiasNYC

"En känd artist" would be "A known artist". "Ett känt problem" - "A known problem".

There is also "Han ville inte kännas vid (something)", which I think is most closely translated into "He did not want to admit (something)". Though to be honest I am not sure if it stems from the word "vidkännas" or if they are thought of separately. Either way it might be good for you to know about it.

"Bekant" to me could also be closer to an "acquaintance", meaning more personal: "En bekant till mig", "An acquaintance of mine". It could also be though of similarly to "familiar", as in "Det var bekant för mig" meaning "It was familiar to me".


----------



## merryweather

I know the word "Bekannte" meaning "acquaintance" from German, so that is a help, and there is a phrase in German "das war mir bekannt" - meaning "I knew that" or "I was familiar with that", so I shall use that to help me remember the difference.

Thanks for the prompt reply, you are very helpful, Mattias!


----------



## applefarm

I understand that "känd*is*" and "berömd" means both "celebrity", and "känd" means well-known.
And "en kändis" is not the same as "en känd".
"Celebrity" (kändis, berömd) differs from "known" (känd) person mainly because "celebrity" is active in massmedia and has a fun club, the just known person does not have such glory.
For example, scientists are known (känd) but famoes pop-musicians are celebrities (berömd).
Do you confirm that i understand accurately?


----------



## AutumnOwl

_En kändis_ is a celebrity, and celebrities are usually _en berömd person, _but if someone said that a person was _berömd _I wouldn't automatically associate that with that the person was a _kändis. _A person can be _berömd_ without being a celebrity, take for example a Nobel Prize laureate is most likely _en berömd person_, even if not known by everybody, but they are most likely not _en kändis_. 
_
En kändis kan vara känd för att vara känd, men behöver inte vara berömd för något._ A celebrity can be known for being famous, but doesn't need be known for something.


----------



## applefarm

AutumnOwl said:


> _En kändis_ is a celebrity, and celebrities are usually _en berömd person, _but if someone said that a person was _berömd _I wouldn't automatically associate that with that the person was a _kändis. _A person can be _berömd_ without being a celebrity, take for example a Nobel Prize laureate is most likely _en berömd person_, even if not known by everybody, but they are most likely not _en kändis_.
> _
> En kändis kan vara känd för att vara känd, men behöver inte vara berömd för något._ A celebrity can be known for being famous, but doesn't need be known for something.



Can you give example persons for _berömd, känd and kändis_?
Are those examples correct:

1) Berömd = famous. Example: Nobel Prize laureates. Albert Enistein.
2) Kändis = celebrity. Example: famoues movie actors, highest-paid athletes, Youtube video bloggers with high subscribers amount. Justin Bieber.
3) Känd = known. This seems to be parent term for all kinds of famoues persons. Example: Albert Enistein, Justin Bieber, and Swedish top 3 biggest youtube channel owners.


----------



## MattiasNYC

I think it's partially splitting hairs now. I think part of the choice here depends on the context within the person is described. If you're talking about a scientist then presumably you're addressing an audience that is receptive to information about that field and are interested in it. So the likelihood that someone like Einstein is either known or a celebrity depends on the context in my opinion. I'd say he's a celebrity within the community in question. But ask young people in general and the answer might (unfortunately) be different. See what I mean? Perhaps it is customary to add "in the field of" when making a statement like that though (i.e. "Einstein is a celebrity in the scientific community").

I'd say in addition to your three points above that a "Kändis" is currently alive, whereas the other two can be dead. Also, if a person who is "Berömd" has received accolades, which I think is what we're implying here, the person can certainly also be a "Kändis" at the same time, which is what AutumnOwl implied I think. Actually, I guess I'm just restating what he said.... so... "What he said!"...


----------



## AutumnOwl

applefarm said:


> 1) Berömd = famous. Example: Nobel Prize laureates. Albert Einstein.
> 2) Kändis = celebrity. Example: famous movie actors, highest-paid athletes, Youtube video bloggers with high subscribers amount. Justin Bieber.
> 3) Känd = known. This seems to be parent term for all kinds of famous persons. Example: Albert Einstein, Justin Bieber, and Swedish top 3 biggest youtube channel owners.


1) the pope, Bill Clinton, J.K. Rowling, Luciano Pavarotti, Bill Gates, David Beckham, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, Al Capone - usually people who are known for having done something.
2) not necessarily the most famous or highest-paid actors, athletes and musicians, but those who figure in gossip magazines, as well as those known to be known. David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Hilary and Bill Clinton, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, the Kardashians, Paris Hilton, Perez Hilton. (People can be both _berömda_ and _kändisar_ at the same time.)
3) those above. I don't know if the Swedish YouTube owners are known in Sweden, it's more those who blog on the internet that are known, and often becomes celebrities here because of that. To say that someone is _känd _doesn't necessarily mean famous, it means that a person is known to be or do something, a person can be "en känd politiker/författare/skådespelare" but not being famous, just being known to be doing something, and the police often use the expression _"han är känd för...", _the person is not famous, but known to have done crimes before. _Känd _can also mean someone I know, as in _"Jag såg inte ett känt ansikte"_, I didn't see anyone I knew/recognised.

I agree with MattiasNYC that a _kändis_ has to be alive, if dead they are either _berömd_ or _känd. _


----------

