释

Tap the pinyin to hear it

to explain; to release; Buddha (abbr. for 釋迦牟尼|释迦牟尼[Shi4 jia1 mou2 ni2]); Buddhism

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

釆 meaning “collect” + 睪 sound ( yì )

Components 釆 ? unknown part

explain · Heisig RSH #1417

droppings + crotch + cornstalk

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

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

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
爱不释手	ài bù shì shǒu	(idiom) to like sth so much that one is reluctant to put it down; to find sth utterly irre…
交保释放	jiāo bǎo shì fàng	to release sb on bail
手不释卷	shǒu bù shì juàn	lit. always with a book in hand (idiom); fig. (of a student or scholar) diligent and hardw…
热释光	rè shì guāng	thermoluminescence
解释器	jiě shì qì	interpreter (computing)
取保释放	qǔ bǎo shì fàng	to be released on bail (law)
如释重负	rú shì zhòng fù	as if relieved from a burden (idiom); to have a weight off one's mind
释子	shì zǐ	(literary) Buddhist monk; Buddhist monastic
释家	Shì jiā	Buddhism; a Buddhist
释手	shì shǒu	to let go; to loosen one's grip; to put sth down
释法	shì fǎ	to interpret the law
释文	shì wén	interpreting words; to explain the meaning of words in classic texts; to decipher an old s…
释出	shì chū	to release; to make available; to liberate; disengagement
开释	kāi shì	to release (a prisoner)
杯酒释兵权	bēi jiǔ shì bīng quán	to dismiss military hierarchy using wine cups; cf Song founding Emperor Song Taizu 宋太祖 hol…
释义	shì yì	the meaning of sth; an explanation of the meaning of words or phrases; definition; an inte…
解释执行	jiě shì zhí xíng	interpreted (computer)
释名	Shì míng	"Shiming", late Han dictionary, containing 1502 entries, using puns on the pronunciation o…
释经	shì jīng	exegesis; explanation of classic text
释然	shì rán	relieved; at ease; feel relieved

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

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
睪 sound part	yì	to spy on
峄	yì	a range of peaks in Shandong and Jiangsu