加える
くわえる · kuwaeru · JLPT N3 · verb-ichidan
to add
🧂 加 = 力 strength + 口 mouth: add your voice to the effort
加 also appears in 追加 (an extra addition) and 加算 (addition). In everyday Japanese it often means adding an ingredient: 塩を加える means to add salt. Sound hook: kuwaeru sounds like coo-where-ru, a cook asking where to add more.
加 — force 力 + mouth 口
加 is traditionally analyzed as a compound of 力 (strength) and 口 (mouth), suggesting boasting or exaggerating one's effort with words. From this it extended to the meaning 'to add' or 'increase'. Today it is used broadly for addition, both literal and figurative.