Word for 'cultured' in French? Other words that are essentially untranslatable?

I'm looking for a word that means someone is refined. It is not 'cultivé.' My teacher was speaking about it, and I cannot remember what it was. I think it is a word that is virtually untranslatable. In addition, please give me any examples you can think of of words that are basically impossible to translate. Thanks!

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EducatorPermalink Reply by George Hunt on September 8, 2014 at 11:07am

élégant" or "bien élevé" could be used perhaps.

I was going to add "culturé" but it seems from this earlier discussion in French that it doesn't exist

https://fr.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070607112451AA4CE8O

I don't have any words in my head that are "virtually untranslatable" but I am sure you are right and there must be any amount of them.

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Keely on September 8, 2014 at 9:54pm

Thanks for your response! No, it's neither of those, but would the word 'civilisé' be used in this context? How nuanced is 'civilisé?'

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Permalink Reply by Vedas on September 9, 2014 at 6:10pm

I put words as they come:

instruit/lettré/savant/ docte/ éclairé/érudit/ affable/ urbain / mondain/ civilisé/ courtois/ bien élevé/ raffiné/ distingué...

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Permalink Reply by Tristan on September 16, 2014 at 5:05pm

Hello!

If someone knows a lot about many different issues, he is "cultivé". If you mean that he/she is refined because he's smart and also elegant in the way he/she speaks, dresses or moves, then he/ she is "raffiné".

Hope that this will help.

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Permalink Reply by susan klee on September 21, 2014 at 12:56am

I was always told of the faux amis bien éducé, meaning well-brought up or civilized or cultured (and superior to all other races , of course . . )