左

左 U+5DE6, 左 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5DE6 ← 工 [U+5DE5] CJK Unified Ideographs 巧 → [U+5DE7]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

左 (radical 48, 工+2, 5 strokes, cangjie input 大一 (KM), four-corner 4001₁, composition ⿸𠂇工)

Derived characters

• 佐, 咗, 𠡃, 𢀡

Descendants

• さ

References

• KangXi: page 325, character 8
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 8720
• Dae Jaweon: page 626, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 411, character 5
• Unihan data for U+5DE6

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Chinese

simp. and trad.		左
alternative forms		𠂇 𢀡 㔫

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 左
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu Slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (左) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
左	*ʔsaːlʔ, *ʔsaːls
佐	*ʔsaːls
袏	*ʔslaːls
蹉	*sʰlaːl
瑳	*sʰlaːl, *sʰlaːlʔ
搓	*sʰlaːl
磋	*sʰlaːl
溠	*sʰlaːl, *sraːl, *ʔsraːls
傞	*sʰlaːl, *slaːl
醝	*zlaːl
瘥	*zlaːl, *ʔsljal, *sʰreːls
鹺	*zlaːl
嵯	*zlaːl, *sʰral
嵳	*zlaːl
蒫	*zlaːl, *ʔsljal, *ʔslɯl
艖	*zlaːl, *sʰraːl
齹	*zlaːl, *sʰral, *zral
縒	*slaːlʔ, *sʰral, *sʰlaːɡ
褨	*slaːlʔ
嗟	*ʔsljal
差	*sʰraːl, *sʰraːls, *sʰreːl, *sʰreːl, *sʰreːls, *sʰral
鎈	*sʰraːl
槎	*zraːl, *zraːlʔ
髊	*zlals

Originally as 𠂇 in the oracle bone script: Pictogram (象形) – a left hand. Compare 又 (“right hand”).

Late bronze inscription forms show an added 工 (“work; to assist?”) component, i.e. the current form is a phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *ʔsaːlʔ, *ʔsaːls): phonetic 𠂇 + semantic 工, representing the original form of 佐 (OC *ʔsaːls, “to assist”).

Etymology

Cognate with 佐 (OC *ʔsaːls, “to assist”) (< be on one's left side); mirror of the semantic relationship between 右 (OC *ɢʷɯʔ, “right”) and 佑 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “to assist”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Unrelated to Proto-Tibeto-Burman *b(w)aj (“left (hand)”) (STEDT).

“(politics) left-wing”

Semantic loan from English left, in turn a semantic loan from French gauche.

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): zuǒ (zuo³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄗㄨㄛˇ

  (Chengdu, SP): zo³

  (Dungan, Cyrillic): зуә (zuə, II)

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zo²

• Gan (Wiktionary): zo³
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): chó
• Jin (Wiktionary): ze²
• Min Bei (KCR): cǒ̤
• Min Dong (BUC): cō̤
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): chó / chó͘

  (Teochew, Peng'im): zo²

• Wu (Wiktionary): tsu (T2)
• Xiang (Wiktionary): zo³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: zuǒ
    • Zhuyin: ㄗㄨㄛˇ
    • Wade–Giles: tso3
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzuuo
    • Tongyong Pinyin: zuǒ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡swɔ²¹⁴/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: zo³
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: zo
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡so⁵³/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic: зуә (zuə, II)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡suə⁵¹/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: zo²
    • Yale: jó
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzo²
    • Guangdong Romanization: zo²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɔː³⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: zo³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡so²¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chó
    • Hakka Romanization System: zo`
    • Hagfa Pinyim: zo³
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡so³¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: ze²
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡sɤ⁵³/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: cǒ̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɔ²¹/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: cō̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡so³³/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chó
    • Tâi-lô: tsó
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zoir
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /t͡so⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡so⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sɤ⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chó͘
    • Tâi-lô: tsóo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zor
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sɔ⁵⁵⁴/

Note:

• Quanzhou:
  • chó - vernacular;
  • chó͘ - literary.

(Teochew)

• Peng'im: zo²
• Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsó
• Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡so⁵²/

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wiktionary: tsu (T2)
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sv̩ʷ³⁴/

Xiang

• (Changsha)
  • Wiktionary: zo³
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡so⁴¹/

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• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 左
Mandarin	Beijing	/t͡suo²¹⁴/
	Harbin	/t͡suo²¹³/
	Tianjin	/t͡suo¹³/
	Jinan	/t͡suə²¹/
	Qingdao	/t͡suə²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/t͡suo⁵³/
	Xi'an	/t͡suo⁵³/
	Xining	/t͡su⁵³/
	Yinchuan	/t͡suə⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/t͡suə⁴⁴²/
	Ürümqi	/t͡suɤ⁵¹/
	Wuhan	/t͡suo⁴²/
	Chengdu	/t͡so⁵³/
	Guiyang	/t͡so⁴²/
	Kunming	/t͡so⁵³/
	Nanjing	/t͡so²¹²/
	Hefei	/t͡sʊ²⁴/
Jin	Taiyuan	/t͡sɤ⁵³/
	Pingyao	/t͡ɕie̞³⁵/
	Hohhot	/t͡suɤ⁵³/
Wu	Shanghai	/t͡su³⁵/
	Suzhou	/t͡səu⁵¹³/
	Hangzhou	/t͡so⁵³/
	Wenzhou	/t͡sɤu³⁵/
Hui	Shexian	/t͡so³⁵/
	Tunxi	/t͡so³¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/t͡so⁴¹/
	Xiangtan	/t͡so⁴²/
Gan	Nanchang	/t͡so²¹³/
Hakka	Meixian	/t͡so³¹/
	Taoyuan	/t͡so³¹/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/t͡sɔ³⁵/
	Nanning	/t͡sɔ³⁵/
	Hong Kong	/t͡sɔ³⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/t͡so⁵³/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/t͡so³²/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/t͡sɔ²¹/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/t͡so⁵³/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/to²¹³/

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• Middle Chinese: /t͡sɑ^X/

Rime
Character	左
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	精 (13)
Final (韻)	歌 (94)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	臧可切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡sɑX/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡sɑX/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡sɑX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/t͡saX/
Li Rong	/t͡sɑX/
Wang Li	/t͡sɑX/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡sɑX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zuǒ

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*tsˤa[j]ʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ʔsaːlʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	左
Reading #	1/3
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	zuǒ
Middle Chinese	‹ tsaX ›
Old Chinese	/*tsˁa[j]ʔ/
English	left (side)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	左
Reading #	1/2
No.	18004
Phonetic component	左
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	左
Old Chinese	/*ʔsaːlʔ/

Definitions

左

1. left (direction)

   左手  ―  zuǒshǒu  ―  left hand

2. east; areas to the east
3. (historical) inferior position
4. unorthodox; wrong
5. erroneously; mistakingly

   你想左了。  ―  Nǐ xiǎng zuǒ le.  ―  You are mistaken.

6. different; divided; inconsistent
7. (politics) left-wing
8. (Sichuan, of singing) out of tune; off-key
9. (Southwestern Mandarin, including Sichuan) to exchange
10. A surname​.

Usage notes

In communist publications, 左 is usually put in quotation marks when referring to something further to the left of the correct party line.

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 左 (“left”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		左
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		左
Mandarin	Beijing	左
	Taiwan	左
	Guilin	左
	Malaysia	左
	Singapore	左
Cantonese	Guangzhou	左
	Hong Kong	左
	Macau	左
	Kuala Lumpur	左
	Singapore	左
Min Dong	Fuzhou	左
Min Nan	Xiamen	倒
	Quanzhou	倒
	Zhangzhou	倒
	Taipei	倒
	Kaohsiung	倒
	Tainan	倒
	Taichung	倒
	Hsinchu	倒
	Lukang	倒
	Sanxia	倒
	Yilan	倒
	Kinmen	倒
	Magong	倒
	Penang (Hokkien)	倒
	Singapore (Hokkien)	倒
	Chaozhou	倒
	Shantou	倒
	Jieyang	倒
	Singapore (Teochew)	倒
	Wenchang	左

Antonyms

• 右 (yòu, “right”)

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zuǒ (zuo³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄗㄨㄛˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: zuǒ
    • Zhuyin: ㄗㄨㄛˇ
    • Wade–Giles: tso3
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzuuo
    • Tongyong Pinyin: zuǒ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡swɔ²¹⁴/

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• Middle Chinese: /t͡sɑ^X/, /t͡sɑ^H/

Rime
Character	左	左
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Initial (聲)	精 (13)	精 (13)
Final (韻)	歌 (94)	歌 (94)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	I
Fanqie	臧可切	則箇切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡sɑX/	/t͡sɑH/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡sɑX/	/t͡sɑH/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡sɑX/	/t͡sɑH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/t͡saX/	/t͡saH/
Li Rong	/t͡sɑX/	/t͡sɑH/
Wang Li	/t͡sɑX/	/t͡sɑH/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡sɑX/	/t͡sɑH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zuǒ	zuò

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*tsˤa[j]ʔ/, /*tsˤarʔ-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ʔsaːlʔ/, /*ʔsaːls/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	左	左
Reading #	2/3	3/3
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	zuǒ	zuǒ
Middle Chinese	‹ tsaX ›	‹ tsaH ›
Old Chinese	/*tsˁa[j]ʔ/	/*tsˁarʔ-s/
English	assist	assist
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	左	左
Reading #	1/2	2/2
No.	18004	18006
Phonetic component	左	左
Rime group	歌	歌
Rime subdivision	1	1
Corresponding MC rime	左	佐
Old Chinese	/*ʔsaːlʔ/	/*ʔsaːls/

Definitions

左

1. ^† Original form of 佐 (zuǒ, “to assist”).

Compounds

Derived terms from 左

• 不左不右
• 反左書／反左书
• 可操左券
• 如左右手
• 如持左券
• 左……右……
• 左不過／左不过
• 左丘 (Zuǒqiū)
• 左丞
• 左乙
• 左使
• 左來右去／左来右去
• 左側／左侧 (zuǒcè)
• 左傳／左传 (Zuǒzhuàn)
• 左傾／左倾 (zuǒqīng)
• 左列
• 左券 (zuǒquàn)
• 左券在握
• 左史
• 左右 (zuǒyòu)
• 左右兩難／左右两难
• 左右前後／左右前后
• 左右夾攻／左右夹攻
• 左右手 (zuǒyòushǒu)
• 左右支絀／左右支绌
• 左右為難／左右为难 (zuǒyòuwéinán)
• 左右翼
• 左右袒
• 左右逢源 (zuǒyòuféngyuán)
• 左右開弓／左右开弓
• 左嗓子
• 左圖右史／左图右史 (zuǒtúyòushǐ)
• 左契
• 左學／左学
• 左宜右有
• 左嵐／左岚 (Zuǒlán)
• 左師／左师

• 左徒
• 左心室 (zuǒxīnshì)
• 左思右想 (zuǒsīyòuxiǎng)
• 左性
• 左手 (zuǒshǒu)
• 左拾遺／左拾遗
• 左挈右提
• 左提右挈
• 左撇子 (zuǒpiězi)
• 左擁右抱／左拥右抱 (zuǒyōngyòubào)
• 左支右吾
• 左支右絀／左支右绌
• 左方
• 左書／左书
• 左榜右臂
• 左氏春秋
• 左江
• 左派 (zuǒpài)
• 左湊／左凑
• 左溪寺 (Zuǒxīsì)
• 左營／左营 (Zuǒyíng)
• 左猜
• 左獄／左狱
• 左皮氣／左皮气
• 左縈右拂／左萦右拂
• 左纛
• 左翼 (zuǒyì)
• 左舷 (zuǒxián)
• 左行
• 左衝右突／左冲右突 (zuǒchōngyòutū)
• 左衽
• 左袒
• 左計／左计
• 左證／左证
• 左賢王／左贤王
• 左輔右弼／左辅右弼
• 左輪／左轮 (zuǒlún)

• 左轉／左转 (zuǒzhuǎn)
• 左近 (zuǒjìn)
• 左道 (zuǒdào)
• 左道旁門／左道旁门
• 左遮右攩
• 左遷／左迁 (zuǒqiān)
• 左邊／左边 (zuǒbiān)
• 左鄰右舍／左邻右舍 (zuǒlín-yòushè)
• 左鎮／左镇 (Zuǒzhèn)
• 左鎮人／左镇人
• 左降
• 左面 (zuǒmiàn)
• 左顧／左顾
• 左顧右盼／左顾右盼 (zuǒgùyòupàn)
• 左首
• 弄左性
• 所謀輒左／所谋辄左
• 披髮左衽／披发左衽 (pīfàzuǒrèn)
• 持左券
• 操左券
• 旁門左道／旁门左道 (pángménzuǒdào)
• 江左 (Jiāngzuǒ)
• 江左夷吾
• 淮左
• 牛心左性
• 男左女右
• 相左 (xiāngzuǒ)
• 穩操左券／稳操左券
• 羊左之誼／羊左之谊
• 虛左／虚左
• 虛左以待／虚左以待
• 被髮左衽／被发左衽
• 證左／证左
• 道左 (dàozuǒ)
• 鄰左／邻左
• 閭左／闾左
• 驗左／验左

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (左):

• → Japanese: 左(さ) (sa)
• → Korean: 좌 (左, jwa)
• → Vietnamese: tả (左)

Others:

• → Ahom: 𑜏𑜩 (say, “left”)
• → Bouyei: soix (“left”)
• → Lao: ຊ້າຍ (sāi, “left”)
• → Shan: သၢႆႉ (sâ̰ay, “left”)
• → Thai: ซ้าย (sáai, “left”)
• → Zhuang: swix (“left”)

References

• “左”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A01151

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Japanese

Kanji

左

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: さ (sa, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: さ (sa, Jōyō)
• Kun: ひだり (hidari, 左, Jōyō)

Alternative forms

• 㔫

Compounds

• 左(さ)遷(せん) (sasen)
• 左(さ)官(かん) (sakan)
• 左(さ)派(は) (saha)
• 左(さ)右(ゆう) (sayū)
• 左(さ)翼(よく) (sayoku)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
左
ひだり Grade: 1
kun’yomi

/hidari/: *[pidari] → [ɸidari] → [çidari].

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) ひだり [hìdárí] (Heiban – [0])
  • IPA^(key): [çida̠ɾʲi]

Noun

左(ひだり) • (hidari) 

1. (direction) left, the side of the left hand
   • 1603–1604, Nippo Jisho (page 229)

     Fidari. ヒダリ (左) 左手, または, 左の方

   • 1999 August 10, “封(ふう)印(いん)されし者(もの)の左(ひだり)腕(うで) [Left Arm of the Sealed One]”, in 幻の召喚神 [Phantom God], Konami:

     封(ふう)印(いん)された左(ひだり)腕(うで)。封(ふう)印(いん)を解(と)くと、無(む)限(げん)の力(ちから)を得(え)られる。

     Fūinsareta hidariude. Fūin o toku to, mugen no chikara o erareru.

     A sealed left arm. Whosoever breaks the seal shall earn infinite power.

2. (politics) a leftist

Antonyms

• (left): 右(みぎ) (migi, “right”)

Derived terms

• 左(ひだり)側(がわ) (hidarigawa)
• 左(ひだり)利(き)き (hidarikiki)
• 左(ひだり)手(て) (hidarite)
• 左(ひだり)巻(ま)き (hidarimaki)
• 左(ひだり)上(うえ) (hidariue)
• 左(ひだり)下(した) (hidarishita)
• 右(みぎ)左(ひだり) (migihidari)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
左
さ Grade: 1
on’yomi

Middle Chinese 左

Pronunciation

• On’yomi
  • (Tokyo) さ​ [sáꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])
  • IPA^(key): [sa̠]

Noun

左(さ) • (sa) 

1. the left in vertical writing
2. the following (one)
   • 1905–06, Natsume Sōseki, I Am a Cat (text here):

     吾輩(わがはい)はまず彼(かれ)がどのくらい無学(むがく)であるかを試(ため)してみようと思(おも)って左(さ)の問答(もんどう)をして見(み)た。

     Wagahai wa mazu kare ga dono kurai mugaku de aru ka o tameshite miyō to omotte sa no mondō o shite mita.

     To judge just how uneducated he was, I posed the following question.

References

• Doi, Tadao (1603–1604) Hōyaku Nippo Jisho (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, published 1980, →ISBN.

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Korean

Pronunciation

• Sound: [t͡ɕwɐ]
• Name: [øn]/[we̞n]

Hanja

左 • (jwa)

• Eumhun:
  • Sound (hangeul): 좌
  • Name (hangeul): 왼

1. left (direction)

Derived terms

• 좌수사 (左水使, jwasusa)
• 좌승지 (左承旨, jwaseungji)
• 좌우 (左右, jwau)
• 좌우지간 (左右之間, jwaujigan)
• 좌익 (左翼, jwaik)
• 좌익수 (左翼手, jwaiksu)
• 좌의정 (左議政, jwauijeong)
• 좌지우지 (左之右之, jwajiuji)
• 좌천 (左遷, jwacheon)
• 좌측 (左側, jwacheuk)
• 좌향좌 (左向左, jwahyangjwa)

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Vietnamese

Han character

左 (tả, tá)

1. left (direction)