selfish
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selfish
Thinking and acting only in one's own interest, without regard for the needs or feelings of other people.
Es war egoistisch von dir, den letzten Kuchen zu nehmen, ohne die anderen zu fragen.
It was selfish of you to take the last piece of cake without asking the others.
The word is made up of 'Ego' (Latin for 'I') and the ending '-istisch'. The ending '-istisch' is often used for adjectives that describe an attitude or behavior.
Sein Verhalten basiert auf reinem Egoismus.
His behavior is based on pure egoism.
A very typical construction for criticizing a person's behavior is: 'Es ist egoistisch von + dative, etwas zu tun' (It is selfish of + person to do something). With this, you evaluate a specific action.
Es war egoistisch von ihm, nicht mit den anderen zu teilen.
It was selfish of him not to share with the others.
'Egoistisch' (selfish) is often used to describe actions, decisions, or character traits. Common combinations are 'egoistisch handeln' (to act selfishly), 'eine egoistische Entscheidung' (a selfish decision), or 'egoistisches Verhalten' (selfish behavior).
Er hat aus rein egoistischen Motiven gehandelt.
He acted out of purely selfish motives.
ruthless / inconsiderate
Egoistisch and rücksichtslos can both be used to criticize the same action. Egoistisch emphasizes that someone is seeking their own advantage. Rücksichtslos highlights that, in doing so, they disregard the needs, feelings, rights, or safety of others.
Tom handelt egoistisch, weil er den ganzen Vorrat für sich behalten will.
Tom is acting selfishly because he wants to keep the entire supply for himself.
Tom handelt rücksichtslos, weil er den ganzen Vorrat nimmt, obwohl die anderen ihn dringend brauchen.
Tom is acting inconsiderately because he is taking the entire supply even though the others urgently need it.
