ego
The French word for "ego" is ego.
ego refers to a person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance. You may also use l'orgueil to convey a sense of pride or hubris. If you wish to describe a person who is focused primarily on themselves, you can use the adjective égocentrique. An idiomatic way to express that someone's pride has been hurt is to say they avoir l'ego froissé (to have one's ego bruised).
How does it change in a sentence?
ego is a masculine noun. In the phrase "the ego", it is written as l'ego.
Did you know?
- While ego is common, French speakers frequently use the term le moi (the me) when discussing the ego in a psychological or Freudian context.
- The phrase avoir l'ego froissé uses the word froissé, which is the same word used for a wrinkled shirt or a crumpled piece of paper.
- Unlike English where 'ego' can be used loosely in many contexts, a French speaker might prefer the term amour-propre to describe a more nuanced sense of self-respect or dignity.
Examples in context
- Tom est mon alter ego.Tom is my alter ego.This sentence shows how to use ego in the term "alter ego".Tatoeba #6614798 by aperitero, translation #6614775 by CarpeLanam
- Il a un ego sur-dimensionné.He has a huge ego.This sentence demonstrates using ego to describe someone with an oversized sense of self-importance.Tatoeba #2343635 by sacredceltic, translation #2292583 by Hybrid
- Le plus grand mensonge est l'ego.The biggest lie is the ego.Tatoeba #6540338 by Micsmithel, translation #6692590 by Eccles17
- Le moi cherche constamment à s'affirmer dans la société.The ego constantly seeks to assert itself in society.
- Il a une grosse tête, il se croit toujours meilleur que les autres.He has a big ego, he always thinks he's better than everyone else.
- Son orgueil l'empêche de reconnaître ses erreurs.His ego prevents him from admitting his mistakes.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are discussing a coworker's arrogance.
- LéaLucas est vraiment difficile à gérer.Lucas is really difficult to manage.
- LucasC'est parce qu'il a un ego trop fort.It's because he has too big of an ego.
- LéaIl ne supporte pas la critique.He cannot stand criticism.
- LucasSon ego prend toute la place.His ego takes up all the space.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
