溶かす

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: Written 溶かす and read とかす, it means causing a solid to dissolve in liquid or melt through heat.
• Basic usage: It applies to dissolving sugar in milk and melting chocolate in a pan.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Transitive causation
  • It says someone causes the change, unlike an intransitive form meaning to melt or dissolve.