diff --git a/.changeset/wicked-kiwis-check.md b/.changeset/wicked-kiwis-check.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a43562b06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/wicked-kiwis-check.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@verdaccio/auth': patch
+---
+
+fix: adduser error message grammar (@tobbe in #4586)
diff --git a/packages/auth/src/auth.ts b/packages/auth/src/auth.ts
index 1a3eab46a..97ef9de81 100644
--- a/packages/auth/src/auth.ts
+++ b/packages/auth/src/auth.ts
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ class Auth implements IAuthMiddleware, TokenEncryption, pluginUtils.IBasicAuth {
           password,
           function (err: VerdaccioError | null, ok?: boolean | string): void {
             if (err) {
-              debug('the user %o could not being added. Error: %o', user, err?.message);
+              debug('the user %o could not be added. Error: %o', user, err?.message);
               return cb(err);
             }
             if (ok) {