放 (fàng): to put

Meanings

1 to put
2 to place
3 to release
4 to let go

Characters

放

fàng

to put; to release; to let go

方 (direction) + 攵 (to strike) - strike outward to release.

Examples

HSK 1

放在这里吧。

Fàng zài zhèlǐ ba.

Put it here.

HSK 2

我放了一天假。

Wǒ fàng le yì tiān jià.

I had a day off.

HSK 3

请把书放在桌子上。

Qǐng bǎ shū fàng zài zhuōzi shàng.

Please put the book on the table.

Tips

usage

放 has many uses: 放假 (have a holiday), 放学 (school lets out), 放心 (relax/don't worry), 放弃 (give up).

Components

radical

攵 pū

tap; strike (radical form)

Right side 攵 - also 放's indexing radical (Kangxi #66, the 'rap' radical, side-form of 攴). A hand holding a stick: signals an active, deliberate motion done by force. The original 放 was 'to drive out by striking' (banishment); the modern 'release, let go, place' senses all keep this active-causation flavour. Same radical in 故, 教, 政, 收.

phonetic

方 fāng

square; direction

Left side 方 supplies the sound: fāng → fàng with only a tone shift. 方's own pictographic origin (a plough or banner) is faintly relevant - the original 放 sense was 'to drive out, to send away in a direction,' so the directional meaning of 方 supports 'release, set loose, place outward.' Same phonetic in 房, 访, 仿, 防.