How to say "ego" in Japanese

• エゴCommon
  nounCovers the colloquial sense of 'ego' as selfishness or self-interest, as in acting out of pure ego. It often carries a critical nuance, suggesting someone is being self-centered or unreasonable.
  この問題もんだいは、アイドルのエゴとヲタのエゴの衝突しょうとつだ。↗

  This problem is the clash of the idol's and obsessive fan's egos.
• 自我じがJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounCovers the sense of 'ego' as the self or one's sense of selfhood, especially in psychology and philosophy. It is a more neutral, conceptual term for the self as opposed to mere selfishness.
  彼かれらは喜よろこびのあまりすっかり自我じがをわすれた。↗

  They were quite beside themselves with joy.
• 主観しゅかんJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounPrimarily means 'subjectivity' or one's subjective perspective, and only marginally corresponds to 'ego'. For most senses of 'ego' this is seldom the word you want; reach for it when contrasting subjective judgment with objectivity.

Use 「エゴ」 for the everyday, often negative sense of self-centeredness, 自我 for the psychological or philosophical sense of the self, and 主観 only when 'ego' means one's subjective viewpoint.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• エゴego
• 自我じがego
• 主観しゅかんsubjectivity
• 主我しゅがego