Meet 左 in everyday words: its meaning here is left. Learn each word with its own reading.

The idea

左 has 5 strokes. Follow the linked stroke-order diagram. 左 is read ひだり and means left; 左側 is read ひだりがわ and means left side. 左右 is read さゆう: left and right.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
左ひだりleft
左側ひだりがわleft side
左右さゆうleft and right

Examples

  • 駅えきの前まえで左ひだりに曲まがります。I turn left in front of the station.
  • 店みせは左ひだりにあります。The shop is on the left.
  • 左ひだりを見みてください。Please look left.
  • 道みちの左側ひだりがわを歩あるきます。I walk on the left side of the road.
  • 駅えきの左ひだりに銀行ぎんこうがあります。There is a bank to the left of the station.
  • 左ひだりと右みぎを見みます。I look left and right.
  • 道みちの左右さゆうに木きが立たっています。There are trees on both sides of the road.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Compare 左 with 右; notice their different parts and strokes rather than guessing from the overall shape. 右 has 口 underneath; 左 has 工. Right and left depend on which way you are facing.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 左 in hiragana.

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    ひだり

    左 is read ひだり; it means left. Remember the reading with the whole word.

  2. Write the reading of 左側 in hiragana.

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    ひだりがわ

    左側 is read ひだりがわ; it means left side. Remember the reading with the whole word.

  3. Write さゆう in kanji for “left and right”.

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    左右

    左右 is written with 左 and read さゆう; it means left and right.

Use it today

Write 左 three times using the linked stroke order. Cover the table, read 左 and 左側, and make a sentence with one of them.