放 meaning and stroke order
To put; to place; to release
How to write 放, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 放
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to put
- to place
- to release
- to free
- to let go
- to let out
How 放 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Let go.
攵 gives the meaning and 方 hints at the sound.
Radical: 攵 (to rap), shared by 36 characters on this site.
How to remember 放
放 is a pictophonetic character. 方 (fāng) on the left gives the sound, and 攵, a hand holding a stick, gives the idea of action, so picture a hand making something go: you put it down or let it go.
放 is very common for putting something somewhere and for letting things go or out, and it appears in everyday words like 放学 (fàngxué), 放假 (fàngjià), 放心 (fàngxīn) and 放松 (fàngsōng). Example: 把书放在桌子上。(Bǎ shū fàng zài zhuōzi shang.) Put the book on the table.
Common mistake: Learners often say 放 with the first tone like its sound part 方 (fāng), but 放 is fourth tone, fàng. Also do not confuse it with 访 (fǎng, to visit), which has 讠 on the left and a third tone.
Common words with 放
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 放学 | fàngxué | to dismiss students at the end of the school day | HSK 1 |
| 放假 | fàngjià | to have a holiday or vacation | HSK 1 |
| 放下 | fàngxia | to lay down; to put down; to let go of; to relinquish; to set aside | HSK 2 |
| 放心 | fàngxīn | to feel relieved; to feel reassured | HSK 2 |
| 放到 | fàngdào | HSK 3 | |
| 播放 | bōfàng | to broadcast; to transmit (by radio or TV) | HSK 3 |
| 开放 | kāifàng | to bloom; to open | HSK 3 |
| 放松 | fàngsōng | to relax; to slacken; to loosen | HSK 4 |
| 放弃 | fàngqì | to renounce; to abandon; to give up | HSK 5 |
| 解放 | jiěfàng | to liberate; to emancipate | HSK 5 |
| 放大 | fàngdà | to enlarge; to magnify | HSK 5 |
| 发放 | fāfàng | to provide; to give | HSK 6 |
| 释放 | shìfàng | to release (a prisoner); to set free; to release (energy, gas, resources); to express (emo | HSK 7-9 |
| 放过 | fàngguò | to let off; to let slip by | HSK 7-9 |
放 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 放
How many strokes are in 放?
放 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 放 mean?
放 (fàng) means to put; to place; to release. A common word with it is 放学 (fàngxué), meaning "to dismiss students at the end of the school day".
How do you pronounce 放?
放 is pronounced fàng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 放?
The radical of 放 is 攵, which carries the idea of "to rap". Dictionaries list 放 under this radical.
Is 放 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 放 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 放 and 放下?
放 alone usually means to put something in a place, often followed by 在 and a location. 放下 (fàngxia) stresses putting something down or letting go of it, including feelings, as in 放下过去 (fàngxia guòqù), let go of the past.
Does 放心 mean to release your heart?
Not literally. 放心 (fàngxīn) means to feel at ease or stop worrying, as in 你放心吧 (nǐ fàngxīn ba), don't worry. The opposite idea is 不放心 (bù fàngxīn), to feel uneasy.