el hombre es egoísta.
the man is selfish.
In a talk at a restaurant, this short line judges a man who only ever thinks of himself. The word keeps its -a even for a man.
From Suits · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "selfish" in Spanish
egoísta
adjective and nounsame for he and sheplural: egoístas
"Selfish" in Spanish is egoísta. It ends in -a for men and women alike: Él es egoísta, Ella es egoísta. As a noun, un egoísta or una egoísta means a selfish person.
Hear "egoísta" in real movie scenes
One verdict about a man, one reassurance for a woman. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Tú no eres egoísta.
You're not selfish.
A doctor reassures a colleague who is blaming herself. Said to a woman, the word is still egoísta.
From Grey's Anatomy · Spanish audio
Egoísta for him, her and them
The adjective never changes for gender. The article does when you use it as a noun.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Él es egoísta. | He's selfish. |
| Ella es egoísta. | She's selfish. |
| Es un egoísta. | He's a selfish person. |
| Es una egoísta. | She's a selfish person. |
| Son muy egoístas. | They're very selfish. |
| el egoísmo | selfishness |
Tip: The opposite is generoso, and that one does change: un hombre generoso, una mujer generosa.
Grammar: egoísta, egoístas
Four points about a word that breaks the -o and -a pattern.
One form for both
un hombre egoísta, una mujer egoísta. Only the plural adds -s: egoístas.Adjective or noun
Es egoísta. He's selfish. Es un egoísta. He's a selfish person. The noun puts a label on the whole person.Traits take ser
Describe character with ser: Tú no eres egoísta. Mi primo es un egoísta.The accent splits the vowels
The written í keeps o and i apart: e-go-ÍS-ta, four syllables, with the stress on the í.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Es un egoísta.
He's a selfish person.
Yo no soy egoísta.
I'm not selfish.
Ese hombre es un egoísta.
That man is selfish.
No, no es un egoísta.
No, he's not selfish.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Él es egoísto
✓Él es egoísta
Egoísta ends in -a for men too, like turista and optimista.
✗Es un egoísta (about a woman)
✓Es una egoísta
As a noun, only the article changes: un for a man, una for a woman.
✗egoista (spelling)
✓egoísta
Keep the accent on the í.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
Free, and you don't need an account.
1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 17 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Egoísta starts with ego. Picture someone with a huge ego who thinks only of themselves.
Questions about "selfish" in Spanish
How do you say selfish in Spanish?
Egoísta. The same form works for men and women: Él es egoísta. Ella es egoísta.
Is it egoísto or egoísta?
Always egoísta, even for a man. Egoísto isn't a Spanish word.
How do you say selfishness in Spanish?
El egoísmo.
How do you say "don't be selfish" in Spanish?
No seas egoísta. To a group, say No seáis egoístas in Spain or No sean egoístas in Latin America.
