放

Tap the pinyin to hear it

to put; to place; to release; to free; to let go; to let out; to set off (fireworks)

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

攵 meaning “let go” + 方 sound ( fāng )

Components 方攵

release · Heisig RSH #496

taskmaster + compass

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
放学	fàng xué	to dismiss students at the end of the school day
放假	fàng jià	to have a holiday or vacation
放不下心	fàng bu xià xīn	cannot stop worrying
放一马	fàng yī mǎ	to let (sb) off; to let (sb) get away with sth
放不下	fàng bu xià	to have no room to put sth; to be unable to let go
大放光明	dà fàng guāng míng	to shine brightly; (fig.) to show promise; to be on the up and up
放大器	fàng dà qì	amplifier
开放性	kāi fàng xìng	openness
中国人民解放军	Zhōng guó Rén mín Jiě fàng jūn	People's Liberation Army (PLA), the unified armed forces of the People's Republic of China
中国人民解放军海军	Zhōng guó Rén mín Jiě fàng jūn Hǎi jūn	Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)
中国人民解放军空军	Zhōng guó Rén mín Jiě fàng jūn Kōng jūn	People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)
放大	fàng dà	to enlarge; to magnify
放水	fàng shuǐ	to turn on the water; to let water out; (sports) to throw a game
开放日	kāi fàng rì	open day
放心	fàng xīn	to feel relieved; to feel reassured; to be at ease
放生	fàng shēng	to set free a captive animal (in some cases, as an act of Buddhist mercy)
放行	fàng xíng	to let pass
放马过来	fàng mǎ guò lái	bring it on!; give me all you got!
安放	ān fàng	to lay; to place; to put in a certain place
放得下	fàng de xià	to be able to put (sth) down; to have room for; to be able to accommodate

Characters sharing the sound component 方 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
方 sound part	fāng	square, rectangle; side; region; flag
房	fáng	building, house, room
防	fáng	to protect, to defend, to guard against
访	fǎng	to visit; to inquire, to ask
旁	páng	side; beside, close, nearby
仿	fǎng	to imitate, to copy; fake; as if
坊	fāng	neighborhood, district, community; street, lane; mill
芳	fāng	fragrant; beautiful, virtuous
纺	fǎng	to spin, to weave, to reel
肪	fáng	animal fat
妨	fáng	damage, harm; to impede, to obstruct; to undermine
邡	fāng	a district in Sichuan province
彷	páng	similar, alike; to resemble
舫	fǎng	yacht, fancy boat
昉	fǎng	dawn, daybreak; to appear
鲂	fáng	bream
钫	fāng	francium