释放 (shì fàng) — to release, to set free (a person or animal); t…

Definition

释放 means to formally release someone or something — a person (prisoner, hostage), an animal, or pent-up feelings, energy, or pressure. More official than plain 放, and broader than 解放 ('to liberate' people/nations).

verb

to releaseto set free (a person or animal)to dischargeto relieve (gas, pressure, energy, etc.)

Examples

释放。
Tā jué dìng shì fàng nà zhī xiǎo niǎo.
He decided to release that little bird.
释放。
Tīng yīn yuè néng bāng zhù wǒ shì fàng yā lì.
Listening to music can help me relieve stress.
释放。
Jǐng fāng chéng gōng shì fàng le rén zhì.
The police successfully released the hostage.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

释shìrelease

放fàngset free

释 and 放 both mean release or set free, so together they express letting something go.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 釋; 释 is its simplified writing.

釆睪釋

釆釆biànto distinguish
睪睪yìto release; to see

The traditional form 釋 puts 釆 (to distinguish) beside 睪, a part that gives the sound and means “to release; to see”; the simplified 释 is a later shortened shape.

Open 释 →

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

方攵放

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 →

Appears in