放

JLPT N3

Release, let go

Readings

On’yomi: ホウ (hō)
Kun’yomi: はな(す), はな(つ) (hana(su), hana(tsu))
• はな(す) – to release, let go, free • はな(れる) – to be separated, to leave, to part from

Structure

Vocabulary

放す
はなす
release
放送
ほうそう
broadcast
放置
ほうち
leave unattended
解放
かいほう
liberation
放題
ほうだい
unlimited

Example Sentences

手を放します。
て を はなします。
I release my hand.
放送を見ます。
ほうそう を みます。
I watch a broadcast.
放置します。
ほうち します。
I leave it unattended.
国を解放します。
くに を かいほう します。
They liberate the country.
食べ放題です。
たべほうだい です。
It is all-you-can-eat.

Cultural Note

🕊️ 放 reflects Japanese concepts of freedom, release, and letting go.
• In daily life, it is used literally (release an animal, let go) and metaphorically (放置 – neglect, 放す – give someone freedom).
• It also appears in social and educational contexts, like 放課後 (after school) or 解放 (liberation), reflecting the balance between guidance and independence.
• Philosophically, it resonates with 無執着 (letting go / non-attachment), an important concept in Japanese thought and Zen practice.