ego
/ˈeɡo/
The Spanish phrase ego means ego.
While ego can refer to the psychological concept of the self, it is most commonly used in a colloquial sense to mean vanity or conceit, similar to its usage in English.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun ego is masculine and is typically preceded by the definite article el.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈeɡo/
Did you know?
- In a psychological context, a Spanish speaker might refer to the yo instead of ego when discussing the Freudian structures of the mind.
- The word ego is a 'doublet' of the common Spanish word yo. Both words originate from the same Latin root but entered the language through different paths.
- In Spanish, the word ego is almost exclusively used for negative conceit, whereas the term autoestima is used for a healthy sense of self-worth.
Examples in context
- El ego nunca sobra.You can never have too much ego.Tatoeba #1247913 by marcelostockle, translation #1247917 by marcelostockle
- Tom tiene un ego enorme.Tom has a very large ego.Tatoeba #4553746 by swyter, translation #4546269 by Hybrid
- Les sobra ego y les falta honestidad.They have too much ego and they lack honesty.Tatoeba #8308850 by arh, translation #8393099 by helloroto
- Su autoestima es muy altaHis/her self-esteem is very high
- No puedo soportar su vanidadI can't stand his/her vanity
- Tiene un orgullo desmesuradoHe/she has an excessive pride
- Es tan presumido(a), siempre habla de sí mismo(a)He/she is so conceited, he/she always talks about him/herself
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are discussing a coworker at their office.
- JavierEse director tiene un ego muy alto.That director has a very high ego.
- SofíaEs verdad, su ego le impide escuchar.It's true, his ego prevents him from listening.
- JavierSí, siempre quiere tener la razón.Yes, he always wants to be right.
- SofíaEs difícil trabajar con alguien así.It is difficult to work with someone like that.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ego, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ego, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
