French Phrase
Ajoute de l'eau et de la nourriture non périssable.
Meaning
The sentence is a direct command telling someone to put water and non‑perishable food into a container, a bag, or a stockpile. It is concise and typical of emergency‑preparation or cooking instructions.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are organizing a survival kit, preparing a picnic, or giving quick instructions in a kitchen or disaster‑preparedness context. It works best in informal settings where the speaker has authority or familiarity with the listener.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ajoutedel'eauetdelanourriturenonpérissable
Imperative (tu)
‘Ajoute’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb *ajouter*; the subject pronoun ‘tu’ is omitted.
Partitive article ‘de l’/‘de la’
When talking about an unspecified amount of a mass noun, French uses the partitive article *de l’* before a vowel (*l'eau*) and *de la* before a consonant (*la nourriture*).
Adjective placement
The adjective *non périssable* follows the noun *nourriture* and agrees in gender and number (here feminine singular).
Conjunction ‘et’
‘et’ simply links two objects in a list; no comma is needed before it.
🗨In Conversation
Nous devons préparer le sac d'urgence pour la tempête.
We need to prepare the emergency bag for the storm.
Ajoute de l'eau et de la nourriture non périssable.
Add water and non‑perishable food.
✕Common Mistakes
Ajouter de l'eau et de la nourriture non périssable.
The infinitive *ajouter* cannot be used for a direct command; you need the imperative *Ajoute*.
Ajoute de le eau et de la nourriture non périssable.
The partitive article contracts to *de l'* before a vowel; *de le* is incorrect.
Ajoute de l'eau et de la nourriture non périssables.
The adjective must agree with the noun; for feminine singular it stays *non périssable*, not *non périssables*.
↔Alternatives
Mets de l'eau et des aliments non périssables.
Put water and non‑perishable foods.
Inclue de l'eau ainsi que de la nourriture qui ne se gâte pas.
Include water as well as food that doesn't spoil.
Ajoutez de l'eau et de la nourriture non périssable, s'il vous plaît.
Please add water and non‑perishable food.
Cultural Tip
In French, the imperative form drops the subject pronoun, and the verb often ends in –e for *tu* (e.g., *Ajoute*). The partitive article *de* changes to *d'* before a vowel, which is why we say *de l'eau* and not *de la eau*. Also, adjectives like *non périssable* normally follow the noun they modify, unlike English where they precede it.