azote
/a.zɔt/masculine
Nitrogen in French is azote.
azote is the noun used to refer to the chemical element nitrogen. In scientific or technical contexts, nitrogen is often referred to by its chemical symbol, N. The term for liquid nitrogen is azote liquide.
Meaning: chemical element (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec, the term azote is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
{'ipa': '/a.zɔt/', 'syllables': 2}
Did you know?
- The name azote literally translates to 'without life', a name given by Antoine Lavoisier because he mistakenly believed the gas was incapable of supporting life.
- While English uses 'nitrogen' from the Greek 'nitron' meaning 'native soda', French uses a completely different Greek root that focuses on biological properties.
- The root azo- in azote is used in French chemistry to describe organic compounds containing nitrogen, such as azoïques.
Examples in context
- L'air que nous respirons est constitué d'oxygène et d'azote.The air we breathe consists of oxygen and nitrogen.This sentence shows the composition of air using azote.Tatoeba #1516325 by martin9, translation #262578 by CM
- Il est important d'obtenir le bon ratio carbone/azote dans un tas de compost.It's important to get the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio right in a compost heap.This sentence describes the importance of the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio using azote.Tatoeba #3229831 by sacredceltic, translation #3229791 by patgfisher
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are studying chemistry in a classroom.
- HugoQuels éléments compose l'air, Emma ?Which elements make up the air, Emma?
- EmmaIl y a surtout de l'azote et de l'oxygène.There is mostly nitrogen and oxygen.
- HugoL'azote est-il un gaz incolore ?Is nitrogen a colorless gas?
- EmmaOui, Hugo, c'est tout à fait exact.Yes, Hugo, that is exactly right.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nitrogen” translations and entries azote, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries azote, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
