noun
addition; supplement; accompaniment
Refers to something added as an extra or accessory, often secondary to the main item. Can be used for physical objects, side dishes, or figurative additions.
この料理には添え物としてサラダが付いてきます。
This dish comes with a salad as a side.
彼の意見は単なる添え物に過
His opinion was merely an afterthought.
おまけ is a free extra or bonus given as a gift or incentive, often in commercial contexts, while 添え物 is a more neutral term for something added as a supplement or accompaniment.
付属品 refers to accessories or attachments that come with a main product, such as a camera strap or software CD, whereas 添え物 is broader and can include non-physical additions.
Compound of 添え (soe, 'adding, attaching') + 物 (mono, 'thing'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since at least the early modern period to refer to something added as a supplement.