French Conversation · Level 100
59 words
French word
bitume
Pronunciation
IPA/bitym/
Meaning
- masculine nounasphalt
Example
La route est en bitume.
The road is surfaced with asphalt.
More examples
Les travaux ont recouvert la rue de bitume.
The construction work covered the street with asphalt.
Core concept
Dark, adhesive road-making material, either found naturally or refined from petroleum.
Common phrases
route en bitume
asphalt road
revêtement en bitume
asphalt surfacing
Similar words
asphalte: A hard, compact black layer forming the surface of a paved road.
goudron: A black, sticky, oily substance made by heating coal or natural materials.
Definition in French
Matière noire et collante, naturelle ou issue du pétrole, utilisée comme liant pour fabriquer ou réparer le revêtement des routes.
Word origin
The French noun bitume comes from Latin bitumen and retained its basic meaning while its industrial use increasingly centered on petroleum-based material.
Usage tips
- Bitumé means coated or paved with bitumen, so it describes a surface rather than naming the material itself.
Other meanings
- bitumennoun
Opposites
- terreearthnoun
Related words
- bitumerasphaltverb
- bituméasphalt-pavedadjective