ajoutaient

ajoutait is a French verb form. It is the third-person singular imperfect indicative of the verb ajouter, which means "to add" or "to add on." The imperfect tense in French is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past, or to set a scene. Therefore, "ajoutait" translates to "was adding," "used to add," or "added" in a continuous or repeated sense. For example, "Il ajoutait du sucre à son café" translates to "He was adding sugar to his coffee" or "He used to add sugar to his coffee." The imperfect tense conveys a sense of duration or repetition rather than a single, completed action, which would typically be expressed by the passé simple or passé composé. This verb form is common in descriptive passages, narratives, and explanations of past habits.