Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== shìfàng: 释放 - To Release, Set Free, Let Go ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** 释放, shìfàng, release Chinese, let go Chinese, free Chinese, relieve stress Chinese, release emotions, release prisoner, release software, set free, liberate, discharge. * **Summary:** Learn the versatile Chinese word **释放 (shìfàng)**, meaning 'to release' or 'let go'. This guide explores its use from literally setting a prisoner free to metaphorically releasing stress or emotions. Discover how **释放 (shìfàng)** is used in daily conversation, technology, and cultural contexts, with practical examples to help you master this essential verb for expressing freedom and relief in Mandarin Chinese. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** shìfàng * **Part of Speech:** Verb * **HSK Level:** HSK 5 * **Concise Definition:** To release, to set free, or to let go of something, whether physical or abstract. * **In a Nutshell:** **释放 (shìfàng)** is all about "letting something out" or "setting something free." Think of it like opening a cage door. You can **释放** a bird (a literal release), but you can also **释放** your stress after a long week (a metaphorical release). It's a powerful and common verb that covers everything from freeing a captive to launching a new software update. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **释 (shì):** This character's core idea is to unfasten, explain, or release. Think of it as untangling something complex or letting go of a burden. * **放 (fàng):** A very common character meaning to put, to place, or to let go. It often implies an action of setting something down or setting it free. * When combined, **释放 (shìfàng)** creates an intensified and often more formal meaning of "releasing". The two characters reinforce each other to mean "to release what was held" and "to set it free." ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== * In a culture that often values emotional restraint and social harmony, the concept of **释放 (shìfàng)** takes on special importance. It's not just about "letting it all hang out," but about finding a proper and healthy outlet for pent-up feelings or pressure. * **Comparison to Western Culture:** The phrase **释放压力 (shìfàng yālì)**, "to release stress," is a good comparison to the English idiom "to let off steam." However, the Chinese concept is often less about direct, verbal confrontation ("venting" at someone) and more about finding a constructive or personal activity to achieve balance. This could be singing karaoke (KTV), playing sports, or engaging in a hobby. The goal is to restore one's inner equilibrium (a value related to traditional concepts like Yin and Yang) so that one can continue to maintain a harmonious state externally. **释放 (shìfàng)** is the key action to achieve this internal balance. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== * **释放 (shìfàng)** is a versatile word used in many modern contexts: * **Literal Release:** This is the most direct meaning. It's used formally for freeing people or animals. * Ex: Releasing a prisoner (释放犯人, shìfàng fànrén) * Ex: Releasing a hostage (释放人质, shìfàng rénzhì) * **Emotional & Psychological Release:** This is an extremely common usage in daily life. * Ex: Releasing stress (释放压力, shìfàng yālì) * Ex: Releasing emotions (释放情绪, shìfàng qíngxù) * Ex: Releasing one's potential (释放潜力, shìfàng qiánlì) * **Technical & Scientific Release:** In science, business, and technology, **释放** means to emit or discharge. * Ex: Releasing energy (释放能量, shìfàng néngliàng) * Ex: Releasing a chemical substance (释放化学物质, shìfàng huàxué wùzhì) * Ex: Releasing a signal (释放信号, shìfàng xìnhào) * Note: For a product or software "release," the word **发布 (fābù)** is much more common, but **释放 (shìfàng)** can be used in a more technical sense, like a new version of an open-source project being "released" to the community. ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 经过漫长的谈判，绑匪终于同意**释放**人质。 * Pinyin: Jīngguò màncháng de tánpàn, bǎngfěi zhōngyú tóngyì **shìfàng** rénzhì. * English: After lengthy negotiations, the kidnappers finally agreed to release the hostage. * Analysis: A literal and formal use of **释放**, common in news reports and official contexts. * **Example 2:** * 运动是**释放**压力的一个好方法。 * Pinyin: Yùndòng shì **shìfàng** yālì de yí ge hǎo fāngfǎ. * English: Exercise is a good way to release stress. * Analysis: This is one of the most common metaphorical uses of **释放** you will hear in everyday conversation. * **Example 3:** * 演唱会上，他**释放**了自己所有的情感。 * Pinyin: Yǎnchànghuì shàng, tā **shìfàng** le zìjǐ suǒyǒu de qínggǎn. * English: At the concert, he released all of his emotions. * Analysis: Highlights the use of **释放** for expressing deeply-held feelings in a cathartic way. * **Example 4:** * 这位老师很擅长帮助学生**释放**他们的潜力。 * Pinyin: Zhè wèi lǎoshī hěn shàncháng bāngzhù xuéshēng **shìfàng** tāmen de qiánlì. * English: This teacher is very good at helping students unleash their potential. * Analysis: A common abstract usage, implying that potential was "locked" or "contained" before. * **Example 5:** * 政府决定提前**释放**那名囚犯。 * Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ juédìng tíqián **shìfàng** nà míng qiúfàn. * English: The government decided to release that prisoner early. * Analysis: Another formal, official example of the literal meaning. * **Example 6:** * 植物在夜间会**释放**二氧化碳。 * Pinyin: Zhíwù zài yèjiān huì **shìfàng** èryǎnghuàtàn. * English: Plants release carbon dioxide during the night. * Analysis: A scientific context, meaning to emit or give off a substance. * **Example 7:** * 别把负面情绪都憋在心里，要学会**释放**。 * Pinyin: Bié bǎ fùmiàn qíngxù dōu biē zài xīnlǐ, yào xuéhuì **shìfàng**. * English: Don't keep negative emotions bottled up inside; you have to learn to let them go. * Analysis: Used as a standalone verb, "to release," in a psychological or self-help context. * **Example 8:** * 这个新软件的测试版已经**释放**给开发者了。 * Pinyin: Zhège xīn ruǎnjiàn de cèshìbǎn yǐjīng **shìfàng** gěi kāifāzhě le. * English: The beta version of this new software has been released to developers. * Analysis: A technical usage. While **发布 (fābù)** is more common for commercial launches, **释放** works well here for a limited or technical release. * **Example 9:** * 他们的善意**释放**了一个积极的信号。 * Pinyin: Tāmen de shànyì **shìfàng** le yí ge jījí de xìnhào. * English: Their goodwill sent (literally: released) a positive signal. * Analysis: A sophisticated, diplomatic use of the word, meaning to send out or convey a message or intention. * **Example 10:** * 在佛教仪式中，他们会**释放**笼中的鸟儿，这叫做“放生”。 * Pinyin: Zài Fójiào yíshì zhōng, tāmen huì **shìfàng** lóng zhōng de niǎo'er, zhè jiàozuò “fàngshēng”. * English: In the Buddhist ceremony, they will release the birds from the cage; this is called "fàngshēng" (life release). * Analysis: Shows the literal act of "releasing" an animal, connecting it to the specific cultural practice of **放生 (fàngshēng)**. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **1. 释放 (shìfàng) vs. 放 (fàng):** Beginners often confuse these. **放 (fàng)** is a much broader verb. While it *can* mean "to let go" (e.g., 放手 fàngshǒu - let go of a hand), it most often means "to put" or "to place." * **Incorrect:** 我**释放**书在桌子上。(Wǒ shìfàng shū zài zhuōzi shàng.) * **Correct:** 我**把**书**放**在桌子上。(Wǒ bǎ shū fàng zài zhuōzi shàng.) - I put the book on the table. * **Rule of thumb:** Use **释放** when something was previously contained, trapped, or held back (stress, a prisoner, energy). Use **放** for simply placing an object somewhere. * **2. "False Friend" with English "Release":** The word "release" in English is used for movies, music albums, and books. You cannot use **释放** for this. * **Incorrect:** 他们下个月要**释放**一部新电影。(Tāmen xià ge yuè yào shìfàng yí bù xīn diànyǐng.) * **Correct (for movies):** 他们下个月要**上映**一部新电影。(Tāmen xià ge yuè yào shàngyìng yí bù xīn diànyǐng.) * **Correct (for products/albums):** 他们下个月要**发行**一张新专辑。(Tāmen xià ge yuè yào fāxíng yī zhāng xīn zhuānjí.) ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * **[[解放]] (jiěfàng):** To liberate, to emancipate. Used on a much larger, historical scale than **释放**. Think "liberating a nation," not "releasing a prisoner." * **[[放手]] (fàngshǒu):** To let go of one's hand; to give up control. More physical and personal than **释放**. * **[[解脱]] (jiětuō):** To be freed from, to find relief from (pain, trouble, responsibility). It focuses on the feeling of relief *after* being freed. * **[[发布]] (fābù):** To issue, announce, or release (e.g., a new product, news, a policy). This is the standard word for a commercial launch. * **[[宣泄]] (xuānxiè):** To vent (emotions). This is more intense and cathartic than simply **释放情绪**. It implies a gushing out of strong, pent-up feelings. * **[[压力]] (yālì):** Stress, pressure. This is the noun most commonly paired with **释放**. * **[[放生]] (fàngshēng):** To release a captured animal (as a compassionate act, often Buddhist). A very specific, cultural type of literal **释放**. * **[[开释]] (kāishì):** A literary or very formal term for acquitting or releasing a prisoner. You will see it in historical texts but rarely hear it spoken.