French Phrase
Ajoute de la nourriture, de l'eau et une trousse de secours.
Meaning
This sentence is a direct command meaning ‘Add food, water, and a first‑aid kit.’ It is typically used when preparing supplies for a trip, an outdoor activity, or an emergency situation.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want someone to pack essential survival items—such as before a hike, a camping night, or a disaster‑preparation drill. It works well in both informal and semi‑formal contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ajoutede la nourriture,de l'eauetune trousse de secours.
Imperative (Ajoute)
‘Ajoute’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb ‘ajouter’, used to give a direct command.
Partitive article (de la / de l')
‘de la’ and ‘de l’ are partitive articles used before uncountable nouns to mean ‘some’. They change to ‘de l’ before a vowel sound.
Noun phrase (une trousse de secours)
‘une trousse de secours’ is a feminine singular noun phrase meaning ‘a first‑aid kit’, with ‘de’ linking the two nouns.
🗨In Conversation
Avant de partir, n'oublie pas d'ajouter de la nourriture, de l'eau et une trousse de secours.
Before we leave, don't forget to add food, water, and a first‑aid kit.
Pas de problème, je les mets dans le sac tout de suite.
No problem, I'll put them in the bag right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Ajoute de le nourriture, de l'eau et une trousse de secours.
The partitive article should be ‘de la’ before a feminine noun, not ‘de le’.
Ajoute la nourriture, de l'eau et une trousse de secours.
Using the definite article ‘la’ changes the meaning to ‘the food’, whereas the intended sense is ‘some food’.
Ajoutes de la nourriture, de l'eau et une trousse de secours.
In the second‑person singular imperative, the final ‘‑s’ is dropped unless followed by ‘‑y’ or ‘‑en’.
↔Alternatives
Mets de la nourriture, de l'eau et une trousse de secours dans le sac.
Put food, water and a first‑aid kit in the bag.
Prépare de la nourriture, de l'eau et une trousse de secours.
Prepare food, water and a first‑aid kit.
N'oublie pas d'emporter de la nourriture, de l'eau et une trousse de secours.
Don't forget to bring food, water and a first‑aid kit.
Cultural Tip
In French, the imperative form drops the subject pronoun (tu) and often uses the simple verb form without ‘-s’ (e.g., ‘Ajoute’ not ‘Ajoutes’). Also, the partitive article is essential when referring to an indefinite amount of something; omitting it can sound like you’re talking about a specific, already‑identified item.