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放生 (fàng shēng) — to release captive animals (especially as a Buddhist practice of compassion)

Definition

The Buddhist/folk-Daoist practice of buying or freeing captive animals (fish, birds, turtles) to earn merit (积德). This is a single verb for the ritual act, not generic 'letting go'.

verb
to release captive animals (especially as a Buddhist practice of compassion)

Examples

  • 放生。
    Fó jiào tú jīng cháng zài jié rì qù hú biān fàng shēng.
    Buddhists often go to the lake to release animals during festivals.
  • ，。
    Tā jīn tiān fàng le bù shǎo shēng, yǒu yú yě yǒu niǎo.
    He released quite a few animals today, including fish and birds.
  • 放生。
    fàng shēng Shì yì zhǒng jī dé de xíng wéi.
    Releasing animals is a virtuous act.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

放fàngrelease
生shēngliving beings

The 放 of releasing acts on the 生, living beings, to set them free.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攵Written in full as攴pūhand, action
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng放fàng
Same sound today

放 uses 方 for its sound and 攵, a hand/action part, to mark an action of release.

Open 放 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →
Appears in
Animals & MammalsReligion & Belief

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