Translation guide
Describes a person or action motivated by personal gain, often at the expense of others. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through adjectives, nouns, and set phrases that emphasize selfishness, calculation, or self-centeredness.
Describing someone who consistently puts their own needs first, without regard for others.
Abbreviation of 自己中心的. Very common in casual conversation to describe a selfish or self-centered person. Slightly negative but not extremely harsh.
彼は本当に自己中だよね。
He's really self-interested, isn't he?
自己中な行動はやめてほしい。
I wish you'd stop being so self-centered.
The full form of 自己中. More formal and suitable for writing or serious contexts.
自己中心的な考え方を改めるべきだ。
You should change your self-interested way of thinking.
Literally 'self-profit-oriented'. A formal term for selfishness, often used in ethical or psychological discussions.
利己的な動機で行動している。
He's acting out of self-interested motives.
Emphasizes selfishness in a way that inconveniences others. Often used for actions, not just personality.
身勝手な言い分だ。
That's a self-interested argument.
Describing someone who acts strategically to benefit themselves, often in a cold or manipulative way.
Means 'calculating' or 'self-interested' in a strategic sense. Often used for relationships or decisions based on profit.
打算的な考えで結婚するのはよくない。
It's not good to marry for self-interested reasons.
彼の親切は打算的だ。
His kindness is self-interested.
Describing actions or attitudes that prioritize one's own convenience or benefit, often ignoring others' needs.
A common phrase meaning 'only thinks about oneself'. Natural and direct.
彼は自分のことしか考えていない。
He's only self-interested.
自分のことしか考えない人は嫌いだ。
I dislike self-interested people.
Expressing that an action is done for one's own benefit, without necessarily implying harm to others. Often used in business or advice.
Simply 'for one's own sake'. Neutral and widely used.
自分のために勉強しなさい。
Study for your own self-interest.
それは自分のためにやっている。
I'm doing it out of self-interest.
Formal term for 'self-interest', used in economics or philosophy.
自己利益の追求は経済の基本だ。
The pursuit of self-interest is the basis of economics.
There is no single Japanese word that perfectly matches 'self-interested' in all contexts. Using a direct translation like 自己興味 (self-interest as curiosity) would be incorrect. Choose the expression based on the nuance: selfish personality, calculating behavior, or neutral self-benefit.
自己中 is casual and describes a self-centered personality. 利己的 is formal and often used in ethical or psychological contexts. 打算的 emphasizes calculation and strategy.
Literally 'high in calculation'. Describes someone who is shrewd and always thinking about personal advantage.
彼女は計算高いところがある。
She has a self-interested side.
Means 'selfish' or 'self-willed'. Often used for behavior that disregards others.
自分勝手な行動は控えてください。
Please refrain from self-interested behavior.