How do you say "selfish" in Japanese?

利己的な

Rikoteki na

Adjective Kanji

In Japanese, "selfish" is 利己的な (Rikoteki na).

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Pronunciation

利己的な is written using kanji. Romanised as Rikoteki na, it sounds roughly like "ree-koh-teh-kee-nah" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Rikoteki na (利己的な) is formal and somewhat literary. In everyday conversation, wagamama (わがまま) is far more common for describing selfish behavior in a casual way.

Example sentence

彼はかなり利己的な行動をします。

Kare wa kanari rikoteki na koudou wo shimasu.

He behaves in quite a selfish way.

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How to remember 利己的な

Rikoteki breaks into 利己 (self-interest) and 的 (like or resembling). It describes someone wrapped in their own interests.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese adjectives.

Questions about 利己的な

How do you pronounce 利己的な?

利己的な is romanised as Rikoteki na. Say it roughly like "ree-koh-teh-kee-nah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 利己的な formal or casual?

利己的な is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 利己的な written in Japanese?

利己的な is written using kanji. Rikoteki na (利己的な) is formal and somewhat literary.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Selfish" in other languages

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