拼音
- fàng (fourth tone, falling)
to put, to place, to lay down; to let go, to release, to set free; to let out, to give a holiday
字形拆解
Ideographic description
⿰方攵The sequence reads left to right and describes how the parts are arranged.
- 方sound partno entry yet方 fāng for the sound.
- 攵meaning partno entry yetA hand with a stick: driving something away. The character first meant to banish.
Mnemonic
A hand with a stick 攵 driving something off, with 方 for the sound: the oldest sense is to banish. Everything modern follows from letting go — 放下 to put down, 放心 to set the heart at rest, 放假 to break up for a holiday, 放学 for school to let out, 开放 to open up.
A memory aid written by HSK Guide editors. It is not an etymology and does not describe the historical origin of the character.