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"rude" in seven languages

Meaningrude

Spanish

maleducado

/maleduˈkado/

learned

Also grosero; rudo means rough or coarse.

French

impoli

/ɛ̃pɔli/

other source · im- + poli (Latin POLĪTUM 'polished')

Grossier is ruder still: vulgar.

Italian

maleducato

/maleduˈkato/

learned

Also scortese; rude means coarse.

Portuguese

mal-educado

/maleduˈkadu/

learned

Also grosseiro.

Romanian

nepoliticos

/nepolitiˈkos/

other source · ne- + politicos (Modern Greek politikós)

Also obraznic, 'cheeky'.

Catalan

maleducat

/maləduˈkat/

learned

English

rude

/ɹud/

other source · Old French rude, Latin RUDEM 'raw, rough'

English → ItalianrudemaleducatoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: educated, education.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

MALE ĒDUCĀTUM‘badly brought up’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

The mirror of polite: 'badly brought up' (maleducado, maleducato, mal-educado, maleducat) or 'unpolished' (impoli, nepoliticos). Spanish rudo and Italian rude exist, but mean rough or coarse — English rude moved on to manners.

English relatives: educated, education

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In a sentence

  • esNo seas maleducado con el camarero.
  • frNe sois pas impoli avec le serveur.
  • itNon essere maleducato con il cameriere.
  • ptNão seja mal-educado com o garçom.
  • roNu fi nepoliticos cu ospătarul.
  • caNo siguis maleducat amb el cambrer.
  • enDon't be rude to the waiter.

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