放下 meaning in English
to lay down; to put down; to let go of; to relinquish; to set aside
Meaning of 放下
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to lay down; to put down
- to let go of; to relinquish; to set aside
- to lower (the blinds etc)
How to use 放下
放下 is used literally for putting objects down and figuratively for letting go of feelings, grudges, or plans. The 下 here works like a direction ending, just as in 坐下 (zuò xia, to sit down). Example: 把手机放下。(Bǎ shǒujī fàngxia.) Put your phone down.
放 (fàng) means to put or release, and 下 (xià) means down. Put the two together and you get the picture of setting something down, either an object in your hands or a worry in your mind.
Common mistake: Learners often say 放 alone when they mean put down, but 放 by itself usually means to place or put somewhere, so 放下 is needed for the sense of setting down or letting go. Also note that 下 is often said in a light neutral tone (fàngxia), though the full fourth tone fàngxià is also heard, especially in the figurative sense.
放下 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
放 fàng · to put · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
下 xià · down · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 放下.
| 坐下 | zuò xia | to sit down |
| 下次 | xià cì | next time |
| 下午 | xiàwǔ | afternoon; p.m. |
| 下车 | xià chē | to get off or out of (a bus, train, car etc) |
| 楼下 | lóu xià | downstairs |
| 下班 | xiàbān | to finish work; to get off work; next service (train, bus etc) |
| 下雨 | xià yǔ | to rain |
| 放学 | fàngxué | to dismiss students at the end of the school day |
| 放假 | fàngjià | to have a holiday or vacation |
| 下课 | xiàkè | to finish class; to get out of class |
| 下边 | xiàbian | under; the underside |
| 一下儿 | yīxiàr | erhua form of 一下[yi1 xia4] |
Questions about 放下
What does 放下 mean?
放下 (fàngxia) means "to lay down; to put down; to let go of; to relinquish; to set aside".
How do you write 放下?
放下 is made of 2 characters: 放 (8 strokes), 下 (3 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 放下 an HSK word?
Yes. 放下 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 放下 be used for emotions like letting go of the past?
Yes. 放下过去 (fàngxià guòqù) means to let go of the past, and 放不下 (fàng bu xià) means you cannot let something go. This figurative use is very common in everyday talk and songs.
What is the difference between 放下 and 放弃?
放下 means to set down or let go, often with a sense of relief or peace. 放弃 (fàngqì) means to give up or abandon, such as a goal or a plan, and often sounds more negative.