浸す

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 浸す is read as ひたす and is a transitive verb meaning to soak or immerse cloth, food, or another object in a liquid.
• Basic usage: Soaking cloth in water appears in 布を水に浸す, while soaking beans overnight appears in 豆を一晩水に浸す.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• を and に
  • The object being soaked takes を, while the water or other liquid into which it is placed takes に.
• Difference from 浸かる
  • 浸かる is intransitive and describes something being immersed, whereas 浸す is transitive and presents someone placing it in liquid.