egoísta
/e.ɡoˈis.tɐ/
The English word selfish is translated into Portuguese as egoísta.
egoísta is an adjective used to describe someone having regard for their own well-being above that of others. You can also use the informal expression egoísta até a medula to mean "selfish to the core".
Meaning: having regard for one's own well-being above that of others (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, egoísta is invariable, meaning it does not change its form to indicate masculine or feminine gender. To form the plural, add an 's' to the end: egoístas. If you wish to use the noun form for "selfishness", use egoísmo.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 3rd syllable: /e.ɡoˈis.tɐ/.
Did you know?
- The suffix -ista in egoísta is a common pattern in Portuguese used to denote a profession or a follower of a school of thought, similar to 'dentista' or 'futurista'.
- The word egoísta was borrowed from the French word égoïste.
- Portuguese uses egoísta in a way that can sometimes overlap with 'individualista', but calling someone individualista is often seen as a more neutral or even positive trait of independence.
Examples in context
- O amor é egoísta.Love is selfish.This sentence demonstrates the use of egoísta to describe the nature of love.Tatoeba #2817421 by akilez, translation #2817328 by Lars224
- Tom não é egoísta.Tom isn't selfish.This sentence shows how to use egoísta in a negative context regarding Tom.Tatoeba #5043183 by bill, translation #3409343 by CK
- Eu não sou egoísta.I'm not selfish.This sentence is useful for expressing that you are not egoísta.Tatoeba #2814799 by alexmarcelo, translation #2811412 by Hybrid
- Maria foi egoísta e não compartilhou seus brinquedosMaria was selfish and didn't share her toys
- João é egocêntrico e raramente se preocupa com os outrosJoão is selfish and rarely cares about others
- Ele é egoísta ao extremo e nunca pensa nas consequências de suas açõesHe is extremely selfish and never thinks about the consequences of his actions
- Os jovens de hoje são muito individualistas, pensam apenas em si mesmosYoung people nowadays are very selfish, they only think about themselves
- A empresária é egoísta até a medula e não se importa com o bem-estar dos funcionáriosThe businesswoman is selfish to the core and doesn't care about the employees' well-being
- Desculpe, mas você está sendo egoísta em não dividir o seu tempo com a família.Sorry, but you're being selfish by not sharing your time with the family.
- Aquela pessoa é egoísta até a medula, ela nunca pensa nos sentimentos de ninguém.That person is selfish to the core, she never thinks about anyone's feelings.
- 51 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Camila and Rodrigo are discussing a friend's behavior.
- CamilaEle foi muito egoísta com a gente.He was very selfish with us.
- RodrigoSim, ele só pensa nele mesmo.Yes, he only thinks of himself.
- CamilaEu não gosto desse tipo de pessoa.I don't like that kind of person.
- RodrigoVocê tem razão, Camila.You are right, Camila.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “selfish” translations and entries egoísta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries egoísta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
