1.
to put to bed, to lay down
To put someone (especially a child) to bed, or to lay something flat.
子どもを寝かせる。
To put the child to bed.
赤ちゃんがやっと寝たので、そっと布団に寝かせた。
The baby finally fell asleep, so I gently laid it down on the futon.
ボトルを横に寝かせて保管する。
Store the bottle on its side.
2.
to let age, to let rest, to let sit
To leave food, drink, or dough for a period of time to develop flavor, ferment, or reach the right consistency.
生地を一晩寝かせる。
Let the dough rest overnight.
カレーは一日寝かせた方がおいしい。
Curry tastes better when left to sit for a day.
ワインを何年も寝かせてから開けると、味が深まっている。
When you open wine after aging it for many years, the flavor has deepened.
寝かせる is the transitive causative form of 寝る (to sleep). It is an ichidan verb (一段動詞).
TRANSITIVITY:
- Type: Transitive (他動詞)
- Pair: 寝る (intransitive — to sleep, to lie down)
- Pattern: Xを寝かせる
CONJUGATION:
- Negative: 寝かせない
- Polite: 寝かせます
- Te-form: 寝かせて
- Past: 寝かせた
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 子どもを寝かせる (to put the child to bed)
- 生地を寝かせる (to let dough rest)
- ワインを寝かせる (to age wine)
- 横に寝かせる (to lay on its side)
USAGE:
Sense 2 is widely used in cooking and food preparation. The idea is that letting something rest or age improves it, similar to English "let it sit" or "let it age."