To Release
To Set Free, To Let Something Go
transitive verb, godan verb
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means release so the verb vocab version is to release, as in to set free or to let something go.
放す often suggests that you've released something in a way that gives it freedom to move or go where it wants. Think of letting your dog run in the field — it's not just that you let go of the leash, but that the dog is now free to run around as it pleases.
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn that reading with this kanji, so here's a mnemonic to help you:
You need to release your pet 花 (はな). It's a monstrous, carnivorous 花 that you keep in a cage in your backyard. You think it's super cute, but your neighbors say it scares them, so you need to set free your beloved 花. Hopefully it doesn't eat anyone on its way back to the wild.
魚を放す
to release a fish
手を放す
to let go of something, to release someone's hand
犬を放す
to let a dog loose
放せよ！
Let me go!
三十分後、コウイチはついに私の手を放した。
Thirty minutes later, Koichi finally released my hand.
この辺りに、犬を放してあそばせられるドッグランみたいなとこはありますか？
Is there a dog park or similar place around here where I can let my dog run free?
フグを海に放すといつも、泳いで逃げちゃって、私が呼んでも知らんぷりするの。どうすれば逃げないように教えることができるのかしら。
Every time I let Fugu loose in the sea, he swims off and when I call him he doesn't listen. What should I do to teach him to not run away?