放す

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 放す(はなす) is a transitive verb for releasing something held or confined.
• Basic usage: It describes letting a caught fish go or releasing a hand one is holding.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Distance and restraint
  • 離す focuses on separating two things, while 放す focuses on freeing something held.
• Conjugation ending in す
  • Its forms include 放して, 放した, and 放さない. 手を放さない means not letting go of a hand.