A carbonate is a salt in chemistry: a substance made when an acid meets a base, and this one has carbon and oxygen joined in a set way. The map is tidy once you hear it: carbonic acid gives carbonates, the way sulfuric acid gives sulfates — that -ate ending is the ‘salt of that -ic acid’ ending.

A carbonate碳酸鹽 is a salt in chemistry是化學上的一種鹽：a substance made when an acid meets a base是酸遇到鹼時生成的物質，and this one has carbon and oxygen joined in a set way而這一種是碳和氧以固定方式結合而成。 The map is tidy once you hear it聽懂之後這個對應關係其實很整齊：carbonic acid gives carbonates碳酸生成carbonates，the way sulfuric acid gives sulfates就像硫酸生成sulfates一樣——that -ate ending is the 'salt of that -ic acid' ending-ate這個字尾就是「該-ic酸的鹽」的意思。

You meet carbonates in very ordinary things, though people rarely use the chemistry name for them. Limestone, chalk, marble, and eggshells are mostly calcium carbonate. Washing soda is sodium carbonate. Baking soda is a close relative (a bicarbonate). In a lab or on a mineral-water label you will see the word itself; in daily talk someone will just say chalk or limestone.

You meet carbonates in very ordinary things你會在很普通的東西裡遇到carbonates，though people rarely use the chemistry name for them不過大家很少用化學名稱來叫它們。 Limestone, chalk, marble, and eggshells石灰岩、粉筆、大理石和蛋殼 are mostly calcium carbonate大部分都是碳酸鈣。 Washing soda洗滌鹼 is sodium carbonate是碳酸鈉。 Baking soda小蘇打 is a close relative是它的近親，a bicarbonate是一種bicarbonate碳酸氫鹽。 In a lab or on a mineral-water label在實驗室或礦泉水標籤上，you will see the word itself你會看到這個字本身；in daily talk someone will just say chalk or limestone日常講話大家就只會說粉筆或石灰岩。

Though actually, carbonate also works as a verb: to carbonate a drink is to push carbon dioxide into it so it fizzes. Same carbon-and-oxygen idea, different job. The noun is the salt; the verb is the ‘add the gas’ action.

Though actually不過其實，carbonate also works as a verb carbonate也可以當動詞用：to carbonate a drink carbonate一杯飲料，is to push carbon dioxide into it so it fizzes就是把二氧化碳打進去讓它冒泡。 Same carbon-and-oxygen idea, different job都是碳和氧的概念，但做的事不一樣。 The noun is the salt名詞指的是那種鹽；the verb is the 'add the gas' action動詞指的是「加氣」這個動作。

Almost nobody says carbonate about a rock in the street — that use lives in science class, geology, and ingredient lists.

Almost nobody says carbonate about a rock in the street幾乎沒有人會用carbonate來說路邊的石頭——that use lives in science class, geology, and ingredient lists這種用法只存在於科學課、地質學和成分標示裡。