音読み: テン
訓読み: そえる・そう
画数: 11
部首: さんずい（氵）
Meaning
Append / Attach / Accompany / Add
- Basic forms
- 添える — add; attach / base form
- 添えます — add / masu form
- 添えた — added / ta form
- 添えて — adding … / te form
- 添えない — do not add / negative
- 添えれば — if (one) adds / conditional
- Common expressions
- 書類に一言を添える — add a brief note to a document
- 花を添える — add flowers; add a decorative touch
- 贈り物に手紙を添えた — added a letter to a gift
- More
- 気持ちを添えて — with kind thoughts / phrase
添える（そえる） is an ichidan transitive verb meaning to add or attach something extra,
often to enhance value, meaning, or politeness.
A related verb is 添う（そう）, an intransitive verb meaning “to be close to” or
“to align with,” as in 気持ちに添う or 要望に添う.
添う is more abstract and is commonly used in formal or written contexts.
- 添付 — attachment (email, file)
- 添削 — correction; editing
- 添乗 — accompanying (as a tour conductor)
- 添える — to add; to attach; to garnish
- 添う — to accompany; to go along with
- 添い寝 — sleeping beside; lying next to
A phono-semantic character: 氵 marks “water/flow,” while 朁/添 supplies the sound and a nuance of “adding next to.” Think of a small stream running alongside — an image of accompanying or attaching something to what’s already there.