Translation guide
To soften or break down something by soaking it in liquid, or to become softened in this way. In Japanese, different verbs are used depending on whether the focus is on the process of soaking, the resulting softening, or the specific context like cooking or science.
To soak food in liquid to soften it, often for cooking or preparation.
General verb for soaking something in liquid. Often used for food preparation.
果物をワインに浸してマセレートする。
Macerate the fruit by soaking it in wine.
To soak or pickle in a liquid, often implying a longer period or for preservation/flavoring.
きゅうりを酢に漬ける。
Macerate cucumbers in vinegar.
Phrase meaning 'soak until softened', useful for explaining the process.
豆を一晩水に浸して柔らかくする。
Macerate the beans by soaking them in water overnight until soft.
To cause something to soften or break down through soaking, often in a scientific or technical context.
Technical term for maceration, especially in biology or medicine. Used for softening tissues.
組織を浸軟して細胞を分離する。
Macerate the tissue to separate the cells.
Formal term for soaking or immersion, used in technical or industrial contexts.
試料を溶液に浸漬してマセレーションを行う。
Macerate the sample by immersing it in the solution.
Colloquial verb meaning to soak and soften, often used for dried foods like noodles or seaweed.
To describe the process of something becoming soft or breaking down due to soaking (intransitive).
Intransitive verb meaning to be soaked or immersed, often implying softening.
果物がシロップに浸って柔らかくなった。
The fruit macerated in the syrup and became soft.
General phrase meaning 'become soft', often used to describe the result of maceration.
水に浸けておくと、豆が柔らかくなる。
If you soak them in water, the beans will macerate (become soft).
浸す (hitasu) is a general term for soaking, often for a shorter time or just to wet/soften. 漬ける (tsukeru) implies soaking in a seasoned liquid for flavoring or preservation, like pickling. For macerating fruit in alcohol, 浸す is more common.
In recipes, you might see マセレートする (maserēto suru) used as a loanword, especially for Western-style cooking. However, native verbs like 浸す are more natural in everyday Japanese.
乾燥わかめを水でふやかす。
Macerate the dried seaweed in water.