Carbonated describes something that has carbon dioxide gas dissolved into it, creating those tiny bubbles that fizz and pop on your tongue. Soda, sparkling water, and champagne are all carbonated drinks.

The bubbles form through a specific process: carbon dioxide gets forced into the liquid under pressure, where it stays dissolved until you open the bottle or can. That satisfying psssst when you crack open a soda is the gas escaping. Once released, the bubbles rise to the surface and burst, creating that distinctive fizzy sensation.

Carbonation affects more than just texture: it adds a slight tartness to drinks. Flat soda tastes sweeter and duller than fresh soda because the carbonation is gone. Some people love the sharp, tingly feeling of a heavily carbonated drink, while others prefer their beverages still, meaning without bubbles at all.