Although the word “populär” can be used in German, the word “beliebt” is roughly three times more common in standard usage to indicate that someone or something is liked by many people:

– “Der Clown ist sehr beliebt bei den Kindern.” – “The clown is very popular with the children.”
– “Sie ist so berühmt und beliebt weil ihre Musik so gut ist.” – “She’s so famous and popular because her music is so good.”
– “Er wird immer beliebter!” – “He’s becoming more (and more) popular!”

The words for “popularity” are “Beliebtheit” (f.) and “Popularität” (f.):

– “Der Politiker genießt große Popularität.” – “The politician enjoys great popularity.”
– “Der Sänger erfreut sich großer Beliebtheit.” – “The singer enjoys great popularity.”
– “Das ist der Grund für die wachsende Beliebtheit des Geräts.” – “That’s the reason for the growing popularity of the device.”

Some similar words are “begehrt”, which means “desired”, and “gefragt”, which means “sought after”. In addition, “weitverbreitet” (“widespread” or “prevalent”) can also fulfill the function of “popular”.