放

• Pinyin: fàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 放 = 方 (direction, phonetic) + 攵 (action) — to direct or release something

Meaning

To put; to place; to let go. A versatile verb meaning to set something down or release.

One of the most common verbs in Chinese with many extended uses: 放下 (put down), 放心 (feel at ease), 放假 (have a holiday), 放学 (school lets out). The core meaning is placing something somewhere or letting something go.

Examples

1. 请把书放在桌子上。 Please put the book on the table.
2. 你把手机放在哪儿了？ Where did you put your phone?
3. 妈妈让我放下书包去吃饭。 Mom told me to put down my backpack and go eat.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, instruction

Tone: direct

Do Say

• 把杯子放在这儿。(Put the cup here.)
• 放心吧，没问题。(Relax, no problem.)

Don't Say

• 我放了他在椅子上。(Wrong word order — say 我把他放在椅子上 or restructure the sentence)

Origin & History

The character 放 combines 方 (square, direction — also phonetic) with 攵 (action radical), suggesting directing or releasing something.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal