What is the Kanji for "Release"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Release", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Release" is "放".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Hana".

Its onyomi reading is "Hou".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The kanji "方" means "Direction" and can be read as "Hou" and "Kata". And The radical "攵" means "Strike" .

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "放" mean in japanese?

"放" means "Release".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N3 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

放送: "Broadcast". The verbal noun '放送 (ほうそう)' means 'broadcast'. It refers to the act of transmitting or distributing content, such as audio or video, over radio or television. This can include news programs, entertainment shows, and other media. For example: The news is being broadcast now - (ニュースが今放送されている). They broadcast the concert live - (コンサートを生放送した).

放つ: "Release" or "Fire". The verb '放つ (はなつ)' has two main meanings. The first meaning is 'to release' or 'to let go of' something, such as an arrow from a bow or a bird from a cage. The second meaning is 'to fire' or 'to shoot' a projectile, such as a gun or cannon. This verb conveys the action of propelling or sending something forth with force. For example: He released the dove - (鳩を放った). The hunter fired the rifle - (猟師が銃を放った).

放る: "Throw" or "Let go". The Japanese verb '放る (ほうる)' can mean either 'to throw' or 'to let go'. It is used to describe the action of forcefully or abruptly releasing an object from one's grasp or control. For example: He threw the ball - (彼は球を放った). I'll just let go of the rope - (私は縄を放ろう).

放射: "Radiation". The noun '放射 (ほうしゃ)' refers to the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or a medium. This can include electromagnetic radiation, such as radio waves, microwaves, visible light, and X-rays, as well as particle radiation, such as alpha and beta particles. '放射' is commonly used to describe the radioactive emissions from nuclear reactions and is an important concept in physics, engineering, and nuclear safety. Example sentences: Radiation from the sun reaches the Earth - (太陽からの放射が地球に届く). The hospital tests patients for radiation exposure - (病院は患者の放射線曝露をテストしている).

解放: "Release". The verbal noun '解放 (かいほう)' means 'release'. It refers to the act of freeing someone or something from confinement, control, or oppression. This can be the release of a prisoner, the liberation of an occupied territory, or the emancipation of a group from slavery or discrimination. For example: The country celebrated its liberation - (その国は解放を祝った). The prisoners demanded their release - (囚人たちは彼らの解放を要求した).

開放: "Release". The verbal noun '開放 (かいほう)' means 'release'. This term refers to the act of freeing, liberating or discharging something from a state of confinement or restriction. It can be used in various contexts, such as releasing a prisoner from jail, opening a locked door, or allowing emotions or feelings to be expressed openly. Example sentences: She was finally released from the hospital - (彼女はついに病院から解放された). The government announced the opening of the borders - (政府は国境の開放を発表した).

放棄: "Abandonment". The Japanese noun '放棄 (ほうき)' means 'abandonment'. This noun refers to the act of giving up, renouncing, or relinquishing something, usually a claim, right, or possession. It can be used in various contexts, such as abandoning a project, a relationship, or a responsibility. For example: Abandonment of the original plan - (当初の計画の放棄). The company decided to declare bankruptcy and made an abandonment of all their assets - (同社は倒産を決め、すべての資産を放棄することにした).

放置: "Neglect" or "Abandonment". The Japanese noun '放置 (ほうち)' means either 'neglect' or 'abandonment'. It refers to the act of leaving something or someone unattended, uncared for or forgotten. This word is often used to describe situations where a person or object is intentionally disregarded or left behind without proper care or attention. For example: The baby was found after being neglected - (赤ちゃんは放置された後見つかった). I don't want to neglect my responsibilities - (私は責任を放置したくない).

放し: "Leaving". The Japanese suffix '放し (はなす)' means 'leaving'. It is used to indicate that something is left as is or unconstrained. It can be attached to nouns or verbs to express a sense of being freed or released from a state or condition. For example: Unleash the dog - (犬を放す). Hair left as it is - (そのままの髪放し).

追放: "Exile". The Japanese verbal noun '追放 (ついほう)' means 'exile'. This term refers to the act of forcibly removing someone from a place or country, typically as a punishment. It carries a strong connotation of banishment and being cast out from one's community or homeland. For example: The dictator ordered the exile of his political rivals - (独裁者は政敵を追放した). The criminal was sentenced to exile in a remote island - (その犯罪者は遠い島に追放された).

放射能: "Radiation". The Japanese noun '放射能 (ほうしゃのう)' refers to the energy emitted in the form of rays or high-speed particles as a result of the spontaneous disintegration of unstable atomic nuclei. This word is often used in the context of nuclear energy, where the emission of radiation can have harmful effects on living organisms. For example: The nuclear accident led to dangerous levels of radiation - (原発事故で危険な放射能が発生した). Exposure to radiation can cause radiation sickness - (放射能に曝されると放射線障害を引き起こす可能性がある).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "は" is read as "ha". The hiragana "な" is read as "na". The hiragana "ほ" is read as "ho". And The hiragana "う" is read as "u".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.