放
to put; to place; to release
HSK level
- Pinyin
- fàng
- Part of speech
- verb
- Level
- HSK 3
- Strokes
- 8
- Register
- neutral
Stroke order for 放
放 is written with 8 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
What does 放 mean?
放 (fàng) is one of the most versatile verbs in Chinese.
Its core meaning is 'to place / put down,' but it extends to 'release, let go, set free, give off, add (an ingredient), let out (school / work), play (a movie or song),' and many compound uses. Common patterns include 放在...上 ('put on top of...'), 放进...
里 ('put into...'), 放假 ('have a holiday'), 放学 ('school lets out'), 放心 ('rest easy'), and 放音乐 ('play music'). What ties them together is the image of something being released or set in a position — physically (place an item), institutionally (let students out), or emotionally (let go of worry). English speakers often reach for 'put,' but 放 is broader: you 放 a video, 放 salt into soup, 放 a dog out for a walk, and 放 your worries down.
Memory hook: Picture an open hand setting something down or letting it loose — that's 放: place it, release it, let it go.
Example sentences
请把书放在桌子上。
Qǐng bǎ shū fàng zài zhuōzi shàng.
Please put the book on the table.
polite
我们下个星期放假。
Wǒmen xià ge xīngqī fàngjià.
We have a holiday next week.
neutral
孩子下午四点放学。
Háizi xiàwǔ sì diǎn fàngxué.
The kids get out of school at four in the afternoon.
spoken
你放点儿盐再尝尝。
Nǐ fàng diǎnr yán zài chángchang.
Add a little salt and taste it again.
spoken
他喜欢一边工作一边放音乐。
Tā xǐhuan yìbiān gōngzuò yìbiān fàng yīnyuè.
He likes to play music while he works.
neutral
Common phrases with 放
Synonyms
搁 also means 'to place / put down,' but is more colloquial and northern. 放 is the standard, all-purpose verb.
摆 means 'to arrange / display,' often implying neat placement for show (摆桌子 'set the table,' 摆好 'arrange properly'). 放 is more general — just put it somewhere.
Don't confuse 放 with
房 ('room / house') is a different character read with second tone. 房子 = 'house'; 放 is the verb 'to put.' Visually 房 has 户 on top; 放 has 攵 on the right.
访 means 'to visit' (访问 'visit / interview'). Same pinyin family but different tone. Don't mix 放学 ('school lets out') with 访问 ('visit').
Frequently asked questions
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