左 meaning and stroke order
Left; the Left (politics); east
How to write 左, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 左
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- left
- the Left (politics)
- east
- unorthodox
- queer
- wrong
How 左 is built
Pictographic character. A left hand; compare 又.
Radical: 工 (labor), shared by 7 characters on this site.
How to remember 左
The top part of 左 (zuǒ) began as a picture of a left hand, like 又. Under it sits 工 (gōng), a tool, so picture your left hand holding a tool.
左 (zuǒ) is mostly used for direction, often in 左边 (zuǒbian) and 左转 (zuǒzhuǎn). 左右 (zuǒyòu) also means "about" after a number. Example: 前面左转。(Qiánmiàn zuǒzhuǎn.) Turn left up ahead.
Common mistake: Learners mix up 左 (zuǒ, left) and 右 (yòu, right) because the tops look the same. Remember that 左 has 工 at the bottom and 右 has 口. Some also confuse 左 with 在 (zài), which has 土 at the bottom.
Common words with 左
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 左边 | zuǒbian | left; the left side | HSK 1 |
| 左右 | zuǒyòu | left and right; nearby | HSK 3 |
| 左顾右盼 | zuǒgù-yòupàn | glancing to left and right (idiom); to look all around | HSK 7-9 |
| 左手 | zuǒshǒu | left hand; left-hand side | |
| 左转 | zuǒzhuǎn | to turn left | |
| 左侧 | zuǒcè | left side | |
| 左翼 | zuǒyì | left-wing (political) | |
| 左撇子 | zuǒpiězi | left-hander | |
| 左舷 | zuǒxián | port (side of a ship) | |
| 左派 | zuǒpài | (political) left; left wing | |
| 左轮手枪 | zuǒlúnshǒuqiāng | revolver | |
| 左右手 | zuǒyòushǒu | left and right hands; (fig.) capable assistant | |
| 左面 | zuǒmiàn | left side |
左 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 左
Learning 左 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 左
How many strokes are in 左?
左 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 左 mean?
左 (zuǒ) means left; the Left (politics); east. A common word with it is 左边 (zuǒbian), meaning "left; the left side".
How do you pronounce 左?
左 is pronounced zuǒ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 左?
The radical of 左 is 工, which carries the idea of "labor". Dictionaries list 左 under this radical.
Is 左 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 左 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
How does 左右 mean "approximately"?
After a number, 左右 means "more or less", as in 三点左右 (sān diǎn zuǒyòu), around three o'clock. As a verb it can also mean "to control or influence".
Does 左 have negative meanings?
Yes, in some older or set expressions 左 can mean wrong or unorthodox, as in 旁门左道 (pángmén zuǒdào), heretical ways. In everyday speech it usually just means left.