bicarbonate

noun bee-kar-boh-NAT Rare

Origin: French bi- (two) + carbonate, coined 19th century

Also means

baking soda (in compounds)

Usage Note

Bicarbonate most commonly appears as bicarbonate de soude (sodium bicarbonate / baking soda) in French cooking and household use. It is also used medically as an antacid. In informal speech, bicarbonate alone often implies bicarbonate de soude.

Examples

"Ajoutez une pincée de bicarbonate dans la pâte."

Natural Translation

Add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda to the dough.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Ordering Food in French: Restaurant Phrases That Work

Order food in French with confidence: greet first, say je voudrais not je veux, ask for a carafe d'eau, answer quelle cuisson, and request the bill yourself.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French False Friends: 25 Faux Amis to Avoid

French false friends look like English words but mean something else: actuellement is not actually, sensible means sensitive. Here are 25 faux amis to avoid.

June 3, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Avoir or Être? Picking the Right Past-Tense Helper

Use avoir for the passé composé unless the verb is reflexive or one of ~16 DR MRS VANDERTRAMP motion verbs, which take être and force agreement.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

The Bonjour Rule: French Etiquette for Visitors

Always say bonjour before you ask, order, or pay in France — the unspoken rule that opens every door. A respectful visitor's guide to French etiquette.

June 4, 2026 6 min read