What does 溶ける mean?
溶ける is a Japanese verb meaning “to melt, to thaw, to dissolve” in English. It can also be translated as “to dissolve (in a liquid), to be used up (of money or time)” depending on context. It is written as 溶ける in kanji, とける in hiragana, and tokeru in romaji. This word is part of JLPT N3 vocabulary.
Example sentences
氷が溶けると液体になる。
When ice melts, it becomes liquid.
砂糖は水に溶ける。
Sugar dissolves in water.
Conjugation of 溶ける
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Plain | 溶けるとける | 溶けないとけない |
| Plain past | 溶けたとけた | 溶けなかったとけなかった |
| Polite | 溶けますとけます | 溶けませんとけません |
| Polite past | 溶けましたとけました | 溶けませんでしたとけませんでした |
Other forms
Te-form溶けてとけて
Potential溶けられるとけられる
Passive溶けられるとけられる
Volitional溶けようとけよう
Causative溶けさせるとけさせる
Conditional溶ければとければ
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Transitive partner
溶ける (it happens by itself)·溶かす (someone does it)
溶ける describes something happening by itself. 溶かす describes someone doing it to something. Japanese keeps these apart where English often uses one verb for both.