Translation guide
The English verb "soften" covers making something physically softer, reducing harshness of light/sound/color, and making attitudes, statements, or impacts gentler. Japanese uses different verbs depending on what is being softened.
To make a material, food, or substance less hard or firm.
General phrase for making something soft. Use for food, materials, etc.
Soften the butter at room temperature.
Formal/technical term for softening, often used in scientific or industrial contexts.
Soften metal through heat treatment.
To soften by soaking in liquid, e.g., dried foods.
Soften dried shiitake mushrooms in water.
To reduce intensity or harshness of sensory stimuli.
To reduce harshness, bluntness, or severity in communication or effect.
Most common for softening words, tone, criticism, or impact.
To ease, mitigate, or soften. Often used for regulations, conditions, or tensions.
Soften regulations.
Loanword 'mild' used for softening taste, personality, or impact. Casual.
Soften the way of saying it.
To become soft or gentler on its own.
和らげる is for abstract softening (light, sound, emotion, impact). 柔らかくする is for physical softening (texture, food). Overlap exists for color/light, but 和らげる is more natural for reducing harshness.
The loanword ソフト (soft) is mainly for software or texture. ソフトにする is not natural for softening light, sound, or attitude. Use 和らげる or 柔らかくする instead.
Soften one's tone of voice.
痛みが和らいだ。
The pain softened.