放下
fàngxià · HSK 2
lay/put down
📥 放 fàng = release + 下 xià = down → release downward = set down
放 means to release or let go; 下 means down or below. Together they describe releasing something in a downward direction, i.e. putting it down. Also used figuratively: 放下 worries = let go of them.
放 — 方 (square/phonetic) + 攵 (rap/strike radical)
放 is a semantic-phonetic compound: 方 supplies the sound and 攵 (a hand holding a stick) supplies the meaning of striking or driving away. The original sense was to banish or drive out, which broadened over time to 'release', 'let go', and 'put down'.
下 — horizontal line 一 + mark below
下 is an indicative character: a long horizontal line represents a reference level, and a shorter stroke placed beneath it points to the area below. The original meaning 'below, down' comes directly from this spatial diagram, and it later extended to verbs like 'descend' and 'lower'.