välkänd

Välkänd is a Swedish adjective meaning well-known or widely recognized. It describes something or someone that has a high degree of public familiarity, such as a person, brand, location, or phenomenon. The term carries a generally neutral to mildly positive tone, signaling recognizability rather than value judgments about quality.

Etymology and usage: väl is an adverb meaning well, and känd is an adjective meaning known. When combined, välkänd denotes that something is known by many people. It is commonly used in everyday speech and in media to indicate broad recognition without implying exceptional fame. It is broader than berömd (famed or celebrated) and less strong than legendary in most contexts. Collocations include välkända artister, välkända varumärken, and välkända platser.

Grammar and inflection: Välkänd behaves like a standard Swedish adjective and agrees with gender and number. Indefinite singular forms are en välkänd person or ett välkänt namn, with the neuter form showing a -t ending in some phrases. Plural is många välkända personer or välkända platser. In predicate position, it remains samma form: Personen är välkänd.

Translations and examples: The closest English equivalents are well-known or widely recognized. Examples: en välkänd författare, en välkänt varumärke (neuter form: ett välkänt varumärke), eller platser som är välkända bland turister.

In summary, välkänd is a common, neutral descriptor for broad recognizability, applicable to people, brands, places, and ideas, with standard Swedish adjective inflection.