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Non voglio essere egoista.

Non voglio essere egoista.
I don't want to be selfish.
From Lesson 157:Comparing qualities and actions (che)·Italian

Breakdown of Non voglio essere egoista.

essere
to be
non
not
volere
to want
egoista
selfish

Questions & Answers about Non voglio essere egoista.

Since egoista ends in -a, does that mean the speaker is a woman?
Not necessarily! Adjectives and nouns ending in -ista (like egoista, ottimista, or turista) are identical for both masculine and feminine in the singular. A man or a woman would use this exact same sentence.
How do you make egoista plural if it's the same for both genders in the singular?
While the singular is always egoista, the plural changes depending on gender. It becomes egoisti for masculine or mixed groups, and egoiste for purely feminine groups.
Why isn't there a preposition between voglio and essere to mean "to be"?
Because volere (to want) is a modal verb, just like potere (can/to be able to) and dovere (must/to have to). When you use a modal verb directly before another verb in its dictionary form (the infinitive, like essere), you never put a preposition in between them.

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