放 fàng — to release; to free; to let go; to put; to place; to let out
请把书放回书架上。Qǐng bǎ shū fàng huí shū jià shàng.Please put the book back on the shelf.
Common words: 放假 (fàng jià)、放学 (fàng xué)、放下 (fàng xià)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to release"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to release", including 放 (fàng), 释 (shì). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to release" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 放 (fàng), 释 (shì) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span fàng, shì — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 放 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 放 fàngto release; to free; to let go; to put; to place; to let outUseful words: 放假, 放学
- 释 shìexplain; to releaseUseful words: 解释, 释放
Common words for these 2 "to release" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 放 (fàng) — so "to release" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
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解释jiě shìexplanation; to explain; to interpret; to resolve释放shì fàngto release; to set free; to liberate (a prisoner); to discharge注释zhù shìto annotate; to add a comment; explanatory note; annotation
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "to release".
释 shì — explain; to release
老师耐心地给我们解释这道题。Lǎo shī nài xīn de gěi wǒ men jiě shì zhè dào tí.The teacher patiently explained this problem to us.
Common words: 解释 (jiě shì)、释放 (shì fàng)、注释 (zhù shì)
All 2 characters
Open 放、释 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.