What does 放つ mean?
放つ is a Japanese verb meaning “to fire (gun, arrow, questions, etc.); to shoot; to hit (e.g. baseball); to break wind” in English. It can also be translated as “to set free, to emit (e.g. light), to send out (a person to carry out a duty)” depending on context. It is written as 放つ in kanji, はなつ in hiragana, and hanatsu in romaji. This word is part of JLPT N4 vocabulary.
Example sentences
彼はその兵士をねらって矢を放った。
He shot an arrow at the soldier.
それは虎を野に放つようなものだ。
It is like letting a tiger run loose.
そのごみ箱は悪臭を放っていた。
The garbage-can gave off a bad smell.