Definition
To put or place something somewhere; also used to mean "to let go" or "to release."
Example
请把书放在桌子上。
Show translation
Please put the book on the table.
Etymology
The character 放 combines the phonetic component 方 (fāng, "square/direction") with the radical 攴/攵 (pū, "to strike/tap"), historically depicting the act of driving or releasing something outward. Over time its core meaning settled on "to place" and "to let go."
Cultural note
放 appears in many key everyday expressions: 放假 (fàngjià) means "to have a holiday/day off," 放心 (fàngxīn) means "to relax/stop worrying" (literally "release your heart"), and 放弃 (fàngqì) means "to give up." Don't confuse it with 方 (fāng, "square/direction") — same sound in first tone, different meaning entirely.