aider

Aider is a French verb meaning to help, to assist, or to aid. It is transitive and can take a direct object, as in J'aide mes amis, or be followed by à + infinitive to express helping someone to do something: J'aide mon frère à déménager. The verb also appears in reflexive form s'aider, meaning to help oneself or to help each other (s'aider mutuellement).

Etymology traces aider to Old French aider, which itself comes from Latin adiutare “to help,” from adiutus “helped.” The root is related to English aid and to other Romance equivalents such as Spanish ayudar and Italian aiutare. The noun aide, meaning assistance or an assistant, shares the same root; in French, the noun is typically feminine (une aide).

Conjugation and usage: In the present tense, the forms are j'aide, tu aides, il aide, nous aidons, vous aidez, ils aident. The passé composé is formed with avoir: j'ai aidé. The imperfect is aidais, aidais, aidait, aidions, aidiez, aidaient. The subjunctive present is que j'aide, que tu aides, qu'il aide, que nous aidions, que vous aidiez, qu'ils aident. The imperative is aide, aidons, aidez. Aider is commonly used with à + infinitive to express helping someone to perform a task: aider quelqu'un à faire quelque chose. It also appears in the pronominal form s'aider or s'entraider to describe mutual assistance.

Usage notes: Aider is high-frequency in everyday French and appears across formal and informal registers. It can denote direct help or support in broader contexts, such as financial, emotional, or practical aid (l'aide financière, l'aide humanitaire). Related terms include aider, aide (noun), et s'aider (to help each other).