educado

Educado is an adjective used in Spanish and Portuguese to describe someone who has received education or who demonstrates good manners and courteous behavior. In both languages it can refer to a person who is well brought up, cultured, or refined. The forms educado (masculine) and educada (feminine) align with gender in each language.

Etymology: The term derives from Latin educatus, past participle of educare, meaning to bring up or to educate. In both Spanish and Portuguese, the related verb educar means to educate or to rear, and the adjectives educado/a are derived from this verb.

Spanish usage: In everyday Spanish, una persona educada is one who behaves politely and shows respect in social interactions. Bien educado or bien educada emphasizes a high-quality upbringing. The noun educación covers education in school as well as manners; maleducado means rude or badly behaved, and the contrasting term for good manners is educación cívica in some contexts.

Portuguese usage: In Portuguese, educado or educada conveys similar meanings—polite, well-mannered, or educated. The compound bem-educado is common for stressing good upbringing. The noun educação encompasses both formal schooling and upbringing. Mal-educado means rude or badly behaved.

Cross-cultural note: While the core sense is similar, regional nuances exist in how strongly “educated” connotes academics versus manners. Both languages also pair educado with related terms such as culto (cultured) and civilizado (civilized) to describe broader social refinement.