蕩ける

• Reading: とろける
• Romaji: torokeru
• Kanji breakdown: 蕩 (toro/tou) — to melt, dissolve, be charmed
• Pronunciation: /to.ɾo.ke.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To melt and become soft or liquid; to dissolve. Also used figuratively when overwhelmed by pleasure or beauty.

A Group 2 (ichidan) intransitive verb. Often written in hiragana as とろける. Used literally for food (cheese, chocolate) melting, and figuratively for being enchanted or blissfully relaxed. Very common in food descriptions.

Examples

1. このチーズケーキは口の中でとろける。 This cheesecake melts in your mouth.
2. 温泉に浸かると体がとろけるように気持ちいい。 Soaking in a hot spring feels so good it's like your body is melting.
3. 彼の甘い言葉に思わずとろけそうになった。 I couldn't help but feel like I was melting at his sweet words.

Usage Guide

Context: food, romance, relaxation

Tone: sensory

Origin & History

Related to とろとろ (onomatopoeia for something thick and melting). The kanji 蕩 means to melt or be dissolute, though the hiragana form is far more common.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal