maleducato
/ma.le.duˈka.to/masculine
The English phrase rude translates to the Italian adjective maleducato.
The term is used to describe someone who is bad-mannered. While maleducato specifically refers to a person's lack of manners, it is distinct from the noun maleducazione, which means rudeness.
Meaning: bad-mannered (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the prefix mal- (badly) and educato (educated).
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes based on the gender and number of the person or noun being described. Use the feminine form maleducata for a woman or a feminine noun, the masculine plural maleducati for a group of men or a mixed-gender group and the feminine plural maleducate for a group consisting only of women.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ma.le.duˈka.to/. The word has 5 syllables and the stress is on the 4th syllable.
Did you know?
- In many Italian social circles, being called maleducato is considered a much more stinging personal insult than being called 'rude' is in English, as it attacks one's family upbringing.
- Italian has no single-word equivalent for 'rude' when describing a 'rude awakening', instead using phrases that describe the event as 'brusca'.
- While an English speaker might say someone is 'rude' to describe a blunt comment, an Italian might use maleducato to describe a person who fails to use the formal 'Lei' in a professional setting.
Examples in context
- Tom non è maleducato.Tom isn't rude.This sentence is useful for stating that Tom is not rude using maleducato.Tatoeba #4247430 by Guybrush88, translation #3171271 by CK
- È molto maleducato, vero?He's very rude, isn't he?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is very rude using maleducato.Tatoeba #8700515 by Guybrush88, translation #8526696 by CH
- È maleducato da parte tua!How rude of you!This sentence is useful for expressing how rude a certain behavior is using maleducato.Tatoeba #10754746 by Bethanielle, translation #16444 by CK
- 56 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a cafe, discussing a customer's behavior.
- FrancescoHai visto come ha risposto il cliente?Did you see how the customer responded?
- ChiaraSì, è stato un uomo molto maleducato.Yes, he was a very rude man.
- FrancescoMi ha trattato male.He treated me badly.
- ChiaraMi dispiace, Francesco, non lo meriti.I'm sorry, Francesco, you don't deserve it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rude” translations and entries maleducato, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
