释 meaning and stroke order
To explain, to interpret; to release
How to write 释, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 释
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to explain
- to release
- Buddha (abbr. for 釋迦牟尼|释迦牟尼[Shi4 jia1 mou2 ni2])
- Buddhism
How 释 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Collect.
釆 gives the meaning and 睪 hints at the sound.
Radical: 釆 (to distinguish), shared by 5 characters on this site.
How to remember 释
The left part 釆 (biàn) shows animal tracks, and the traditional form 釋 uses 睪 as its sound part. To explain something is like sorting through tracks one by one to figure out what happened.
释 (shì) rarely stands alone in modern speech. It appears in words about explaining, like 解释 (jiěshì) and 注释 (zhùshì), and in words about letting go, like 释放 (shìfàng). Example: 请你解释一下。(Qǐng nǐ jiěshì yíxià.) Please explain it.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left side as 米 (mǐ, rice). 釆 has an extra slanted stroke on top, so it is not 米. Learners also mix up 释 (shì) with 译 (yì, to translate), because the right sides of the two characters look alike.
Common words with 释
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 解释 | jiěshì | explanation; to explain | HSK 4 |
| 释放 | shìfàng | to release (a prisoner); to set free; to release (energy, gas, resources); to express (emo | HSK 7-9 |
| 爱不释手 | àibùshìshǒu | (idiom) to like sth so much that one is reluctant to put it down; to find sth utterly irre | HSK 7-9 |
| 保释 | bǎoshì | to release on bail; to bail | |
| 假释 | jiǎshì | parole | |
| 注释 | zhùshì | to annotate; to add a comment; explanatory note; annotation | |
| 诠释 | quánshì | to interpret; to comment and explain | |
| 释怀 | shìhuái | to get over (a traumatic experience, misgivings etc) | |
| 获释 | huòshì | freed (from prison); to obtain release | |
| 如释重负 | rúshìzhòngfù | as if relieved from a burden (idiom); to have a weight off one's mind | |
| 稀释 | xīshì | to dilute |
释 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 释
How many strokes are in 释?
释 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 释 mean?
释 (shì) means to explain, to interpret; to release. A common word with it is 解释 (jiěshì), meaning "explanation; to explain".
How do you pronounce 释?
释 is pronounced shì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 释?
The radical of 释 is 釆, which carries the idea of "to distinguish". Dictionaries list 释 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 释?
The traditional form of 释 is 釋. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 释 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 释 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 释 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What does 爱不释手 mean literally?
It means "love it so much you cannot release it from your hand." Here 释 has its sense of letting go. You use it for a book, toy, or object you can hardly put down.
Why is 释 connected to Buddhism?
释 is short for 释迦牟尼 (Shìjiāmóuní), the Buddha. Chinese Buddhist monks traditionally take 释 as their surname, so you may see names like 释某某 in monastery names.