Learn Chinese Characters

Meaning

to release; to free; to let go; to put; to place; to let out

Chinese: 放置、释放或让开。

Hear the Four Tones

The same syllable “fang” becomes a different word in each tone. 放 is the 4th tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.

Stroke Order

Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.

Common Words

  • 放假fàng jiàto have a holiday or vacation
  • 放学fàng xuéto dismiss students at the end of the school day
  • 放下fàng xiàto lay down; to put down; to let go of; to relinquish
  • 放心fàng xīnto feel relieved; to feel reassured; to be at ease
  • 开放kāi fàngto bloom; to open; to be open (to the public); to open up (to the outside)

Example Sentence

请把书放回书架上。Qǐng bǎ shū fàng huí shū jià shàng.Please put the book back on the shelf.

Qǐngto ask(marks the object)shūbookfàngto puthuíHui ethnic group (Chinese 书架shū jiàbookshelfshàngon

Go deeper

Where this character comes from

方 (sound) plus 攵 (a hand with a rod, an action): to let go — ‘to release, set free, let out; to put, place, lay aside; to give off; to set off; to graze; to broadcast’ (放心, 放假, 开放).

A way to remember it

To let go, set free, put down — 放心, 开放, 放假.