How to Write 释 (shì) — Meaning “to release; to explain; to let go”

Imagine a person using their hands (采 as picking) to untie a knot (睪 looks like a twisted rope) — once the knot is undone, they can "release" or "explain" what was tangled. This visual of untangling helps connect the shape to the meaning of letting go or clarifying.

The left part 采 has a top stroke that is a short left-falling stroke (丿) followed by three dots; do not confuse it with 米 (rice). The right part 睪 has a vertical stroke that goes straight down through the center, and the bottom is 幸 (xìng) but with an extra horizontal stroke. Keep the two sides balanced and not too wide.

释 (shì) means to release or explain, while 釉 (yòu) means glaze (as on pottery). Visually, 释 has 采 on the left and 睪 on the right, whereas 釉 has 采 on the left but 由 (yóu) on the right. The right side of 釉 is simply the character 由, not the more complex 睪 found in 释.

释 is very common in formal and everyday contexts. You will see it in 解释 (to explain) when clarifying ideas, 释放 (to release) for setting someone free or emitting substances, and 注释 (annotation) for notes in books. It carries a neutral to positive tone, often implying clarification or liberation.

Common words containing 释 include: 解释 (jiě shì) — to explain; explanation; 释放 (shì fàng) — to release; to set free; 注释 (zhù shì) — Annotation / Note.