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hydrogène

hydrogen

noun ee-droh-ZHEN Rare
Animals & Nature Environment

Origin: From Greek 'hydro-' (water) + '-genes' (producing) — named because it produces water when burned.

Usage Note

Hydrogène is a masculine noun in French; learners sometimes wrongly assign it a feminine gender by analogy with oxygène (also masculine). L'eau oxygénée (hydrogen peroxide) is the common pharmacy term for the disinfectant. Interest in l'hydrogène vert (green hydrogen) has made the word increasingly prominent in French energy policy debates.

Examples

"L'hydrogène est l'élément le plus léger."

Natural Translation

Hydrogen is the lightest element.

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