Introduction

Ajouter means “to add”, and this page covers exactly one thing: ajouter in the present tense. The present is the tense French speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for ajouter, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the passé composé, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about ajouter in the present. It is used every day in conversation, at work and at home. For example: “Il ajoute le sucre tous les jours.” — “He adds the sugar every day.” Everything on this page uses the forms of ajouter exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Ajouter in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
je ajoute
tu ajoutes
il/elle ajoute
nous ajoutons
vous ajoutez
ils/elles ajoutent
Gerund: en ajoutant · Past participle: ajouté
The gerund is en ajoutant, which you use after en to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “En ajoutant, je commence la journée.” — “While adding, I start the day.” The past participle is ajouté, which you use with avoir in the perfect tenses: ai ajouté is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present tense is only one part of how ajouter is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for ajouter, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present tense of ajouter is formed

The present tense of ajouter has six forms: j'ajoute, tu ajoutes, il ajoute, nous ajoutons, vous ajoutez, ils ajoutent. Say them in order — je, tu, il, nous, vous, ils — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. ajouter is regular: every form follows the standard -er endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb. Two things about the present of ajouter are worth noticing. First, the nous and vous forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the nous form, and the present subjunctive takes its nous and vous forms from the same stem, so learning ajoutons and ajoutez pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense French uses where English would often use the continuous form, so ajoute can mean both “I add” and “I am adding” — context tells the listener which one you mean. Because ajouter is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -er endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -er verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.

When to use the present of ajouter

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use ajouter in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and ajouter is no exception. Use time expressions such as tous les jours, toujours or chaque semaine to make the routine explicit. Example: “J'ajoute le sucre à la maison.” — “I add the sugar at home.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about ajouter does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Il ajoute le sucre ce matin.” — “He adds the sugar this morning.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. French often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with ajouter in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nous ajoutons le sucre avec Paul.” — “We add the sugar with Paul.”

4. Scheduled future events

French uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu ajoutes le sucre.” — “You add the sugar.”

5. Narration and commentary

In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and ajouter in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Ils ajoutent le sucre tous les jours.” — “They add the sugar every day.”

Present Tense vs Passé Composé: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the passé composé, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the passé composé describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as tous les jours or toujours, while the passé composé sentences use hier or la semaine dernière. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Il ajoute le sucre à la maison.” — “He adds the sugar at home.”
  • Passé Composé: “Il a ajouté le sucre la semaine dernière.” — “He has added the sugar last week.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.
  • Present Tense: “J'ajoute le sucre ce matin.” — “I add the sugar this morning.”
  • Passé Composé: “J'ai ajouté le sucre ce matin.” — “I have added the sugar this morning.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.
  • Present Tense: “Tu ajoutes le sucre avec Paul.” — “You add the sugar with Paul.”
  • Passé Composé: “Tu as ajouté le sucre avant la fête.” — “You have added the sugar before the party.”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passé composé sentence is one finished event. Tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.

Example sentences: ajouter in the present tense

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “J'ajoute le sucre à la maison.” — “I add the sugar at home.”
  2. “Tu ajoutes le sucre ce matin.” — “You add the sugar this morning.”
  3. “Il ajoute le sucre avec Paul.” — “He adds the sugar with Paul.”
  4. “Nous ajoutons le sucre.” — “We add the sugar.”
  5. “Vous ajoutez le sucre tous les jours.” — “You add the sugar every day.”
  6. “Ils ajoutent le sucre à la maison.” — “They add the sugar at home.”
  7. “J'ajoute le sucre tous les jours.” — “I add the sugar every day.”
  8. “Il ajoute le sucre avec Paul.” — “He adds the sugar with Paul.”

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Je ajoutes le sucre.” Right: “J'ajoute le sucre tous les jours.” Why: The je form is ajoute, not ajoutes. ajoutes is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nous ajoute le sucre.” Right: “Nous ajoutons le sucre tous les jours.” Why: Nous needs the nous form ajoutons. ajoute belongs with je only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “J'ajoute le sucre hier.” Right: “J'ai ajouté le sucre hier.” Why: Hier points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passé composé ai ajouté for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Je ajouter le sucre.” Right: “J'ajoute le sucre tous les jours.” Why: The infinitive ajouter never takes a subject. After je you need the conjugated form ajoute.

Quiz: test yourself

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

  1. What is the je form of ajouter in the Present indicative?

    • A) ajoutons
    • B) ajoute
    • C) ajoutais
    • D) ajoutez

  2. What is the tu form of ajouter in the Present indicative?

    • A) ajoutes
    • B) auras ajouté
    • C) ajoutais
    • D) as ajouté

  3. What is the il/elle form of ajouter in the Present indicative?

    • A) ajoute
    • B) ajouta
    • C) a ajouté
    • D) ajoutez

  4. What is the nous form of ajouter in the Present indicative?

    • A) avions ajouté
    • B) ajoutassions
    • C) ajoutons
    • D) aurons ajouté

  5. What is the vous form of ajouter in the Present indicative?

    • A) ajoutez
    • B) ajoutâtes
    • C) ajoutent
    • D) ajoute

  6. What is the ils/elles form of ajouter in the Present indicative?

    • A) ajoutons
    • B) ajoutent
    • C) auront ajouté
    • D) ajoutaient

  7. What is the je form of ajouter in the Present indicative?

    • A) ajoutasse
    • B) ajoute
    • C) ajoutent
    • D) ajouterais

  8. What is the tu form of ajouter in the Present indicative?

    • A) ajoute
    • B) ajoutez
    • C) ajouteras
    • D) ajoutes

Answer key

  1. B) ajoute — the je form of ajouter in the present indicative is ajoute. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  2. A) ajoutes — the tu form of ajouter in the present indicative is ajoutes. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  3. A) ajoute — the il/elle form of ajouter in the present indicative is ajoute. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  4. C) ajoutons — the nous form of ajouter in the present indicative is ajoutons. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  5. A) ajoutez — the vous form of ajouter in the present indicative is ajoutez. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  6. B) ajoutent — the ils/elles form of ajouter in the present indicative is ajoutent. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  7. B) ajoute — the je form of ajouter in the present indicative is ajoute. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.
  8. D) ajoutes — the tu form of ajouter in the present indicative is ajoutes. The other options are forms of the same verb for different persons or tenses.

Frequently asked questions

What does ajouter mean in English?

ajouter means “to add”. It is a non-reflexive, regular verb.

How is the present tense of ajouter formed?

The six present forms are: j'ajoute, tu ajoutes, il ajoute, nous ajoutons, vous ajoutez, ils ajoutent. ajouter is regular: every form follows the standard -er endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict.

When do I use the present instead of the passé composé?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the passé composé for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: tous les jours points to the present, hier points to the passé composé.

What are the gerund and past participle of ajouter?

The gerund is en ajoutant and the past participle is ajouté.

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