浸す

§ Basic Meaning of 浸す (ひたす)

The Japanese verb 浸す (ひたす) means 'to soak' or 'to dip' something in liquid. It's often used when you want to fully immerse something. Think of putting a tea bag in hot water, or soaking vegetables in cold water. You'll hear this word in various contexts, from cooking to science, and even in more abstract situations.

Let's look at some common ways you'll encounter 浸す.

Japanese Word

浸す (ひたす)

Meaning

To soak; to dip

CEFR Level

B1

§ 浸す in Everyday Conversations

You'll often hear 浸す when people are talking about food preparation. For example, soaking rice before cooking, or dipping vegetables to clean them. It's a very practical verb.

§ 浸す in Work and News

In more formal or technical settings, 浸す can describe processes where something is immersed for a specific purpose. You might hear it in news reports about industrial processes or medical treatments.

Here, the passive form 浸される (hitasa reru) is used, meaning 'to be soaked' or 'to be dipped'. This is common when the action is done to something, rather than by someone directly.

§ Related Words and Phrases

While 浸す specifically means to soak or dip, there are other related words to be aware of:

• 漬ける (tsukeru): This also means to soak, but often implies pickling or marinating food. For example, 漬物 (tsukemono) are Japanese pickled vegetables. You wouldn't usually use 浸す for this specific culinary process.

• 濡らす (nurasu): This means to wet or dampen something. While soaking makes something wet, 濡らす focuses on the state of being wet, not necessarily the act of immersion.

• 水に浸る (mizu ni hitaru): This is the intransitive form of 浸す, meaning 'to be soaked in water' or 'to be immersed in water.' The subject itself is doing the soaking (or being soaked, rather), without an external agent.

  温泉に浸ってリラックスした。(Onsen ni hitatte rirakkusu shita.)

  Hint: I relaxed by soaking in the hot spring.

Understanding these nuances will help you choose the correct word in different situations. For 浸す, remember the direct action of one thing soaking another.

Alright, let's talk about 浸す (hitasu). This word means 'to soak' or 'to dip'. It's super useful for describing actions where something goes into a liquid. But Japanese has a few ways to say similar things, so knowing when to use 浸す is key.

§ Basic Meaning of 浸す

Definition

To submerge something in a liquid, usually completely or almost completely, for a period of time, or to just briefly dip it.

You'll use 浸す when you want to convey the action of putting something into a liquid, whether it's for a short dip or a long soak. Think about preparing food, washing clothes, or even just dipping your hand in water.

Translation hint: Soak the towel in water and wring it out.

Translation hint: Dip the bread in the soup and eat it.

§ Similar Words and When to Use Them

Here's where it gets practical. There are other verbs in Japanese that might seem similar, but they have subtle differences.

• 漬ける (tsukeru): This also means 'to soak' or 'to pickle'. The key difference is that 漬ける often implies a longer-term soaking or pickling process, specifically for preservation or marination. Think pickles (漬物, tsukemono).

  野菜を塩水に漬ける。

  Translation hint: Pickle the vegetables in salt water.

• 濡らす (nurasu): This means 'to wet' or 'to dampen'. While 浸す implies submersion, 濡らす just means something becomes wet. You might wet a cloth, but you'd soak it (浸す) if you wanted it completely saturated.

  雨で服が濡れた。

  Translation hint: My clothes got wet in the rain.

• 潜らせる (kuguraseru): This means 'to make something dive or submerge'. It often implies a more active, forceful, or deeper submersion, sometimes with a sense of passing through something. It's less common for everyday 'soaking' than 浸す.

  体を水に潜らせる。

  Translation hint: Submerge one's body in water.

§ When to Choose 浸す

Stick with 浸す for the most common scenarios of 'soaking' or 'dipping'.

• When you're softening something by putting it in liquid (e.g., rice, dried mushrooms).

  米を水に浸しておく。

  Translation hint: Soak the rice in water.

• When you're dipping something briefly into a liquid (e.g., bread in soup, your finger in water).

  指を絵の具に浸した。

  Translation hint: I dipped my finger in the paint.

• When you want to saturate something with a liquid (e.g., a cloth with water, a sponge).

  スポンジを洗剤液に浸す。

  Translation hint: Soak the sponge in detergent solution.

So, when in doubt for general 'soaking' or 'dipping', 浸す is your go-to word. Remember the nuances with 漬ける for pickling/marinating and 濡らす for simply getting wet, and you'll be using these words accurately in no time.