浸泡 (jìn pào): to steep; to soak; to immerse

Mom soaked the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for half an hour; after they softened, she sliced them to stew chicken soup.

This herbal medicine needs to steep overnight; only after boiling it the next morning can its efficacy be fully released.

Before cooking mung bean soup, it's best to soak the beans for two or three hours first; that way they soften more easily.

She soaked the dirty clothes in laundry detergent, saying that washing them after a twenty-minute soak would get them cleaner.

During the plum rain season in the south, the walls and floor are always damp, as if the whole house were steeped in moisture.