Spanish · Emotions & Descriptions

"Selfish" in Spanish: egoísta

egoísta

Say it: eh-goh-EES-tahadjective/e.ɣo.ˈis.ta/

Selfish in Spanish is egoísta. Egoísta stays the same for él and ella. The plural is egoístas. It can sound harsh, so watch tone.

Sharing food

No seas egoísta. Comparte.
Don't be selfish. Share.
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How to pronounce egoísta

Say it

eh-goh-EES-tah

/e.ɣo.ˈis.ta/

eh-goh-EES-tah. Stress EES. Soft g; accent on í.

"Selfish" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
egoístaselfish

Same for masculine and feminine singular.

egoístasselfish (plural)

For more than one.

no seas egoístadon't be selfish

Scolding or joking.

actitud egoístaselfish attitude

Describe the behavior.

How to use egoísta in real life

  1. 1Sharing food

    No seas egoísta. Comparte.

    Don't be selfish. Share.

    No seas egoísta as a nudge.

  2. 2About a coworker

    Él fue egoísta con el crédito.

    He was selfish with the credit.

    Egoísta same for él.

  3. 3About a friend

    Ella no es egoísta; siempre ayuda.

    She is not selfish; she always helps.

    Egoísta same for ella.

Mistakes English speakers make with egoísta

Incorrect: Ella es egoísto.

Correct: Ella es egoísta.

Egoísta ends in -a for everyone. Say ella es egoísta.

Incorrect: Ellos son egoísta.

Correct: Ellos son egoístas.

Use plural egoístas for more than one.

Good to know

Egoísta is a blunt criticism in Latin American Spanish. Softer options include un poco egoísta or no piensa en los demás. The related noun is el egoísmo.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Splitting the last slice of pizza

  1. ChatPal

    No seas egoísta. Hay que compartir.

    Don't be selfish. We have to share.

  2. You

    Tienes razón. No quiero ser egoísta.

    You're right. I don't want to be selfish.

  3. ChatPal

    Mitad y mitad. Así nadie es egoísta.

    Half and half. That way nobody is selfish.

  4. You

    Perfecto. Pasa el cuchillo.

    Perfect. Pass the knife.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Selfish" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Selfish" in Spanish

Does egoísta change for gender?

No. Él es egoísta and ella es egoísta. Plural: egoístas.

How do you pronounce egoísta?

eh-goh-EES-tah. Stress EES.

Is egoísta rude?

It can be. Soften with un poco if the criticism is mild.

What is the noun?

El egoísmo.

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  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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