Chinese word

自私

Pronunciation

Pinyinzì sī

Meaning

  • adjectiveselfish

Example

自私的人很难相处。zì sī de rén hěn nán xiāng chǔ

Selfish people are hard to get along with.

Illustration for 自私 (selfish)

More examples

他的决定很自私，伤害了朋友的感情。tā de jué dìng hěn zì sī shāng hài le péng yǒu de gǎn qíng

His decision was very selfish and hurt his friend's feelings.

Core concept

Putting personal wants ahead of shared needs, with little room for compromise or giving.

Common phrases

  • 显得自私xiǎn de zì sī

    seem selfish

  • 很自私hěn zì sī

    very selfish

  • 有自私的倾向yǒu zì sī de qīng xiàng

    have selfish tendencies

Similar words

自私自利zì sī zì lì: Seeking only personal gain while paying no attention to how others are affected.
利己lì jǐ: Acting mainly to gain an advantage for oneself.
自我中心zì wǒ zhōng xīn: Treating one's own ideas and feelings as the center while overlooking other people's perspectives.

Definition in Chinese

把自己的利益或愿望放在首位，不愿为他人付出或让步的性格或行为。bǎ zì jǐ de lì yì huò yuàn wàng fàng zài shǒu wèi bú yuàn wèi tā rén fù chū huò ràng bù de xìng gé huò xíng wéi

Word origin

自 (zì, "self") + 私 (sī, "private") forms a word for placing private interests before the interests of others.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, calling someone 自私 (zìsī, "selfish") can sound like a judgment of character, while describing the specific action is often less confrontational.

Other meanings

  • self-centeredadjective
  • self-seekingadjective
  • selfishnessnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word