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How to Say "covetousness" in Spanish

The Spanish word forcovetousnessis codiciaB2 level.

English → SpanishB2
nounB2
a strong desire to have what belongs to others
A character clutching a massive pile of gold coins and jewels to their chest with a wide-eyed expression.

Examples

La codicia rompe el saco.

Greed breaks the bag. (A proverb meaning greed leads to losing everything).

Su codicia por el poder lo llevó a cometer errores.

His greed for power led him to make mistakes.

Debemos evitar que la codicia controle nuestras vidas.

We must prevent greed from controlling our lives.

Using 'por' to show the goal

To say what someone is greedy for, use the word 'por'. For example: 'codicia por el dinero' (greed for money).

Nouns ending in -ia

Like many abstract concepts in Spanish, this word ends in '-ia' and is feminine, so it always uses 'la' or 'una'.

Confusing Greed and Ambition

Mistake:Using 'codicia' to describe a hard-working, motivated person.

Correction: Use 'ambición' for positive drive. 'Codicia' is almost always used for a negative, selfish hunger for more than one needs.

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