Usage patterns わがままを 言い う to make selfish demands / whine for one's own way
The child made selfish demands in front of the store, which was troubling.
わがままを 許ゆる す to indulge someone's selfishness
The mother always ends up indulging her son's selfishness.
わがままに 育そだ つ to grow up spoiled
Being an only child, he grew up spoiled.
〈 人ひと 〉 のわがままを 通とお す to get one's own selfish way
She always tries to get her own selfish way.
Related words· 7 自分勝手 stresses acting purely for one's own convenience with no regard for others, while わがまま more often describes childish or petulant insistence on getting one's way.
利己的 is a formal, analytical term for egoistic behavior, whereas わがまま is the everyday word for someone acting spoiled or demanding.
気まま describes doing as one pleases in a neutral or even positive, carefree way, while わがまま carries a negative sense of imposing on others.
身勝手 and わがまま both mean acting only for oneself, but 身勝手 leans toward adult irresponsibility while わがまま often describes childish willfulness.
Show 3 more Show fewer わがまま implies selfish, self-centered behavior, while 気まぐれ describes unpredictable changes of mood or mind without necessarily being selfish.
わがまま describes childish or willful selfishness, while 勝手 more broadly describes acting as one pleases without regard for others.
わがまま is the everyday, general word for selfishness or being spoiled, while 勝手気まま emphasizes willfully doing as one pleases without regard for others.
Opposites 従順 describes being obedient and compliant, the opposite of わがまま 's insistence on having one's own way.
素直 describes a docile, cooperative attitude, contrasting with わがまま 's stubborn self-centeredness.
Written forms わがまま Usage 69%
Kana spelling is standard; the word is usually written in kana.
ワガママ Usage 11%
我わが 儘まま Usage 8%
Alternate kanji spelling without が ; less common than 我が儘 .
我わ が 儘まま Usage 5%
Common kanji spelling with okurigana; 我儘 is also seen.
我わ がまま Usage 3%
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; rarely used.
我わが 侭まま Usage 3%
Rare kanji variant using 侭 .
我わ が 侭まま Usage 1%
Rare mixed kanji variant with 侭 .
Etymology From 我 (wa, 'I, oneself') + 儘 (mama, 'as one likes, at will'). The reading わがまま is a compound of 我が (waga, 'my') and まま (mama).
Report an issue with this page
Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
