This is the 148th most frequent Chinese word.
放
"放" means "to release," "to put," or "to let go."
Here, '放' combined with '假' forms a term that means 'to begin a holiday or vacation'; it signifies the action of taking a break from work or school.
放假后我们打算去旅游。
After the holiday starts, we plan to travel.
In this example, '放' contributes to the term '放松,' which means 'to relax.' It denotes easing one's mental or physical state.
请听我用这首歌放松自己。
Allow me to relax myself with this song.
In this sentence, '放' is used to mean 'to place or put something somewhere' in the context of physically placing an object.