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

The idea

右 has 5 strokes. Follow the linked stroke-order diagram. 右 is read みぎ and means right; 右側 is read みぎがわ and means right side. 左右 is read さゆう: left and right.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
右みぎright
右側みぎがわright side
左右さゆうleft and right

Examples

  • 駅えきの前まえで右みぎに曲まがります。I turn right in front of the station.
  • 店みせは右みぎにあります。The shop is on the right.
  • 右みぎを見みてください。Please look right.
  • 道みちの右側みぎがわを歩あるきます。I walk on the right side of the road.
  • 駅えきの右みぎに銀行ぎんこうがあります。There is a bank to the right of the station.
  • 右みぎと左ひだりを見みます。I look right and left.
  • 左右さゆうを見みてから道みちを渡わたります。I look both ways before crossing 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 右 with 左; 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 右 in hiragana.

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    みぎ

    右 is read みぎ; it means right. Remember the reading with the whole word.

  2. Write the reading of 右側 in hiragana.

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    みぎがわ

    右側 is read みぎがわ; it means right 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 右 and read さゆう; it means left and right.

Use it today

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