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.
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').
FAQ
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