phosphate
/fɔs.fat/masculine
The English word phosphate is phosphate in French.
phosphate is a masculine noun meaning any salt or ester of phosphoric acid.
Meaning: any salt or ester of phosphoric acid (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The related verb phosphater is a regular -er verb used to describe the process of treating a surface with phosphate.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /fɔs.fat/.
Did you know?
- The word phosphore comes from the Greek words for 'light' and 'bearer'. In French history, this poetic meaning often associated the element with the 'morning star' or Venus.
- While phosphate is a technical term, the French word phosphorescence is used in common language to describe a ghostly glow, reflecting the 'light-bearing' nature of the element.
- The French verb 'phosphater' is used specifically in industrial metallurgy to describe coating metals, a niche but precise use of the word's root.
Examples in context
- Le Sahara occidental dispose de riches gisements en phosphate.Western Sahara has rich phosphate deposits.This sentence shows how to describe the presence of phosphate deposits in a region using phosphate.Tatoeba #10962998 by Amastan, translation #10896725 by Amastan
- Le phosphate est un composé essentiel à la croissance des plantes.Phosphate is a crucial compound for plant growth.
- L'anion phosphate joue un rôle important dans de nombreux processus biologiques.The phosphate anion plays a significant role in various biological processes.
- Ce produit contient du phosphate.This product contains phosphate.
- L'analyse montre une forte concentration de phosphate.The analysis shows a high concentration of phosphate.
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are discussing a laboratory report.
- EmmaAs-tu vérifié le taux de phosphate ?Did you check the phosphate level?
- HugoOui, le résultat est très élevé.Yes, the result is very high.
- EmmaHugo, est-ce que c'est normal ?Hugo, is this normal?
- HugoNon, il faut ajuster la solution.No, we need to adjust the solution.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “phosphate” translations and entries phosphate, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
