to give up; to abandon
HSK level
放弃 (fàngqì) is a verb meaning 'to give up, abandon, or relinquish' something — a goal, a right, a plan, an opportunity, or a struggle.
It is neutral and common in both speech and writing: 放弃这个机会 (give up this opportunity), 不要放弃 (don't give up). It is transitive and takes a concrete or abstract object, so unlike English 'give up,' you generally need to name what is abandoned: 我放弃了 alone ('I've given up') is possible but usually the object is stated. Note the contrast with 放松 (fàngsōng, to relax) — same first character, opposite feeling.
放弃 also differs from 失去 (shīqù, to lose): 放弃 is a voluntary choice to let something go, whereas 失去 is losing something involuntarily. The characters read 'release-discard.'
Character by character
Memory hook: 放 (release) + 弃 (discard) = release your grip and throw it away → give up.
放弃 appears in 5 Fluentide podcast episodes at natural native speed — each with the full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
别放弃，你一定可以做到。
Bié fàngqì, nǐ yídìng kěyǐ zuòdào.
Don't give up, you can definitely do it.
spoken
他放弃了出国的机会，留下照顾父母。
Tā fàngqì le chūguó de jīhuì, liúxià zhàogù fùmǔ.
He gave up the chance to go abroad and stayed to care for his parents.
neutral
为了健康，她放弃了熬夜的习惯。
Wèile jiànkāng, tā fàngqì le áoyè de xíguàn.
For her health, she gave up the habit of staying up late.
neutral
无论多难，我都不会轻易放弃。
Wúlùn duō nán, wǒ dōu bú huì qīngyì fàngqì.
No matter how hard it is, I won't give up easily.
written
放弃 is written with 15 strokes (放: 8, 弃: 7). Tap replay to watch each character drawn again.
抛弃 means 'to cast off / desert,' usually a person or something you had a duty to — it carries moral judgment (abandoning a family, a partner). 放弃 is neutral: giving up a plan or goal without the sense of betrayal.
舍弃 means 'to give up / sacrifice' something you value, often deliberately for a greater aim, and is slightly more written. 放弃 is the everyday word and doesn't imply the thing was precious.
放松 means 'to relax / loosen up,' a positive easing of tension. 放弃 means to give up entirely. Same 放, very different outcome — don't tell someone to 放弃 when you mean 放松.
失去 means 'to lose' something involuntarily (a chance, a person, health). 放弃 is a deliberate choice to let go. One happens to you; the other you decide.
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