View source for 左

{{character info}}
==Translingual==
{{stroke order|strokes=5}}

===Han character===
{{Han char|rn=48|rad=工|as=02|sn=5|four=40011|canj=KM|ids=⿸𠂇工}}

====Derived characters====
* {{l|mul|[[佐]], [[咗]], [[𣳇]], [[㝾]], [[袏]], [[䦈]], [[堶]], [[媠]], [[惰]], [[㨊]], [[遀]], [[隋]], [[楕]], [[㻟]], [[䙃]], [[䤻]], [[䭉]], [[䯝]], [[鰖]], [[毻]], [[隓]], [[鬌]], [[𠡃]], [[𢀡]]}}

====Descendants====
* [[さ]]

===References===
* {{Han ref|kx=0325.080|dkj=08720|dj=0626.070|hdz=10411.050|uh=5DE6|ud=24038|bh=A5AA|bd=42410}}

==Chinese==
{{zh-forms|alt=𠂇,𢀡,㔫,屮,䶹}}
{{zh-wp|zh|yue|nan:Chó (sèⁿ)}}

===Glyph origin===
{{Han etym}}
Originally written {{zh-l|*𠂇}} and [[䶹]] in the oracle bone script: {{liushu|p}} – a left hand. Compare {{zh-l|*又|right hand}}.

Late bronze inscription forms show an added {{zh-l|*工|work; to assist?}} component, making the current form a {{Han compound|𠂇|工|ls=psc|ls2=ic|c1=p|c2=s|t1=left hand|t2=work|nocap=1}}, representing the original form of {{och-l|佐|to assist}}.

===Etymology===
Cognate with {{och-l|佐|to assist}} (< be on one's left side); mirror of the semantic relationship between {{och-l|右|id=1|right}} and {{och-l|佑|to assist}} ({{zh-ref|Schuessler, 2007}}).

Unrelated to {{ncog|tbq-pro|*b(w)aj||left (hand)}} (STEDT).

; “(politics) left-wing”
: {{semantic loan|zh|en|left}}, in turn a {{semantic loan|zh|fr|gauche|nocap=y}}.

===Pronunciation 1===
{{zh-pron
|m=zuǒ
|m-s=zo3
|m-x=zuò
|dg=зуә2
|c=zo2
|c-t=
|g=zo3
|h=pfs=chó;gd=zo3
|j=ze2
|mb=cǒ̤
|md=cō̤
|mn=chó/qz:chó͘
|mn_note=Quanzhou: chó - vernacular; chó͘ - literary
|mn-t=zo2
|w=sh:5tsu;sz:3tsou;hz:3tso
|x=zo3
|mc=1
|oc=1
|ma=y
|ca=LL-Q9186-Justinrleung-左.wav
|cat=n,a,adv,pref,pn,m:v
}}

====Definitions====
{{head|zh|hanzi}}

# [[left]] ([[direction]])
#: {{zh-x|左手|left hand}}
# [[east]]; [[area]]s to the [[east]]
#: {{zh-x|江左|area '''east''' of the lower reaches of the [[Yangtze]] River}}
# {{lb|zh|nautical}} [[port]]
#: {{zh-x|左舷|[[portside]]}}
# {{lb|zh|historical}} [[inferior]] [[position]]
# [[unorthodox]]; [[wrong]]
# [[erroneously]]; [[mistakingly]]
#: {{zh-x|你 想 左 了。|You are mistaken.}}
# [[different]]; [[divided]]; [[inconsistent]]
#: {{zh-x|相左|to '''conflict''' with each other; to '''fail to agree'''}}
# {{lb|zh|political}} [[left-wing]]
# {{lb|zh|chemistry}} [[levo-]]
#: {{zh-x|左多巴|'''levo'''dopa}}
# {{lb|zh|Sichuan|of singing}} [[out of tune]]; [[off-key]]
# {{lb|zh|Southwestern Mandarin|including|Sichuan}} to [[exchange]]
# {{lb|zh|Eastern Min}} [[devious]], [[dishonest]]
# {{lb|zh|Xiang}} [[wrong]]; [[incorrect]]
# {{surname|zh}}
#: {{zh-x|^左 ^宗-棠|{{w|Zuo Zongtang|'''Zuo''' Zongtang}} (Qing dynasty Chinese statesman and military leader)}}

=====Usage notes=====
In [[socialist]] nations e.g. [[mainland China]], {{zh-l|*左}} is usually (not necessarily) put in [[quotation marks]] when referring to the leftism further to the correct [[party line]].

=====Synonyms=====
{{zh-dial}}
{{zh-dial|錯}}

=====Antonyms=====
* {{zh-l|右|right}}

===Pronunciation 2===
{{zh-pron
|m=zuǒ
|c=
|mc=y
|oc=2+3,y
|dial=n
|cat=v
}}

====Definitions====
{{head|zh|hanzi}}

# {{†}} {{zh-original|佐|to [[assist]]}}

===Compounds===
{{col3|zh|左榜右臂|左邊|左不過|左側|左道旁門|左顧右盼|左近|左鄰右舍|左輪|左面|左派|左撇子|左傾|左手|左首|左舷|左翼|左右|左……右……|左右逢源|左右開弓|左右手|左右為難|左證|左支右絀|如持左券|左顧|反左書|左轉|弄左性|左來右去|左挈右提|左乙|左思右想|左纛|左降|左右袒|左氏春秋|左支右吾|左擁右抱|左衽|如左右手|左史|左湊|左提右挈|左計|左列|左券|不左不右|左行|左性|左鎮人|左遷|左遮右攩|左輔右弼|左衝右突|左縈右拂|左皮氣|左猜|左營|左江|左書|左拾遺|左心室|左徒|左師|左宜右有|左契|左圖右史|左右翼|左右夾攻|左傳|左使|左道|左右支絀|左袒|左右兩難|可操左券|左學|左方|左右前後|左丘|左嗓子|左丞|左券在握|左賢王|左獄|持左券|操左券|淮左|旁門左道|披髮左衽|所謀輒左|穩操左券|相左|江左夷吾|男左女右|牛心左性|江左|閭左|羊左之誼|虛左以待|被髮左衽|虛左|驗左|鄰左|道左|證左|左溪寺|左嵐|左鎮<t:[[Zuojhen]]>|左海|左權}}

===Descendants===
{{CJKV||さ|좌|tả}}
''Others'':
* {{desc|bor=1|aho|𑜏𑜩|t=left}}
* {{desc|bor=1|pcc|soix|t=left}}
* {{desc|bor=1|en|Tso|Zuo}}
* {{desc|bor=1|lo|ຊ້າຍ|t=left}}
* {{desc|bor=1|shn|သၢႆႉ|t=left}}
* {{desc|bor=1|th|ซ้าย|t=left}}
* {{desc|bor=1|za|swix|t=left}}

===References===
* {{R:yue:Hanzi}}
* {{R:twedu|A01151}}

{{cat|cmn|Beginning Mandarin}}

==Japanese==

===Kanji===
{{ja-kanji|grade=1|rs=工02}}

====Readings====
{{ja-readings
|goon=さ
|kanon=さ
|kun=ひだり-, と-
}}

====Alternative forms====
* {{ja-l|㔫}}

====Compounds====
* {{ja-r|左%遷|さ%せん}}
* {{ja-r|左%官|さ%かん}}
* {{ja-r|左%派|さ%は}}
* {{ja-r|左%右|さ%ゆう}}
* {{ja-r|左%翼|さ%よく}}

===Etymology 1===
{{ja-kanjitab|ひだり|yomi=k}}
/hidari/: *[pidari] → [ɸidari] → [çidari].

From {{inh|ja|ojp|-|sort=ひだり}}. First attested in the ''{{w|Kojiki}}'' of 712 {{CE}}.<ref>{{R:Nihon Kokugo Daijiten 2|左}}</ref> From {{inh|ja|jpx-pro|*pintari|sort=ひだり}}.

====Pronunciation====
{{ja-pron|ひだり|acc=0|acc_ref=DJR,NHK}}

====Noun====
{{ja-noun|ひだり}}

# {{lb|ja|direction|sort=ひだり}} [[left]], the side of the left [[hand]]
#* {{RQ:Nippo Jisho|229|passage='''Fidari'''. ヒダリ (左) 左手, または, 左の方}}
#* {{quote-book|ja|date=Aug 10 1999|title=ja:幻の召喚神|trans-title=Phantom God|chapter={{lang|ja|{{ruby|[封](ふう)[印](いん)されし[者](もの)の[左](ひだり)[腕](うで)}}}}|trans-chapter=Left Arm of the Sealed One|publisher=w:Konami}}
#*: {{ja-usex|封%印された'''左'''%腕。封%印を解くと、無%限の力を得られる。|^ふう%いんされた '''ひだり'''%うで。^ふう%いん を とく と、む%げん の ちから を えられる。|A sealed '''left''' arm. Whosoever breaks the seal shall earn infinite power.}}
# {{lb|ja|politics|sort=ひだり}} a [[leftist]]

=====Antonyms=====
* {{as|left}} {{ja-r|右|みぎ|right}}

=====Derived terms=====
* {{ja-r|左%側|ひだり%がわ}}
* {{ja-r|左%利き|ひだり%きき}}
* {{ja-r|左%手|ひだり%て}}
* {{ja-r|左%巻き|ひだり%まき}}
* {{ja-r|左%上|ひだり%うえ}}
* {{ja-r|左%下|ひだり%した}}
* {{ja-r|右%左|みぎ%ひだり}}

===Etymology 2===
{{ja-kanjitab|さ|yomi=o}}
{{der|ja|ltc|左|sort=さ}}

====Pronunciation====
{{ja-pron|さ|acc=1|acc_ref=DJR,NHK}}

====Noun====
{{ja-noun|さ}}

# the [[left]] in vertical writing
# the [[following]] (one)
#* {{RQ:I am a cat}}:
#*: {{ja-usex|吾%輩はまず彼がどのくらい無%学であるかを試してみようと思って'''左'''の問%答をして見た。|わが%はい は まず かれ が どの くらい む%がく で ある か を ためして みよう と おもって '''さ''' の もん%どう を して みた。|To judge just how uneducated he was, I posed the following question.}}

====Prefix====
{{ja-pos|prefix|さ}}

# to the left; on the left side
# {{lb|ja|history|government|sort=さ}} "of the left", [[senior]] or [[superior]] to {{m|ja|右|tr=u-||of the right}}
#: {{ja-x|[[左衛門|左%衛%門]]|^さ%え%もん|the Gate Guard of the Left}}
#: {{ja-x|[[左大臣|左%大%臣]]|^さ%だい%じん|the Minister of the Left}}

===References===
<references/>
:* {{R:Nippo Jisho}}

==Korean==

===Etymology===
From {{der|ko|ltc|-}} {{ltc-l|左|id=1}}.

{{collapse|
* {{hanja-dongguk|장〯|cǎ}}
* {{hanja-hunmong|좌〯|cwǎ|雜語}}
|Historical readings
|bg=#FFFFFF}}

===Pronunciation===
{{ko-hanja-pron|좌|l=y}}

===Hanja===
{{ko-hanja-search}}
{{ko-hanja|왼|좌}}

# {{hanja form of|좌|[[left]] ([[direction]])}}

====Derived terms====
{{der-top3|Compounds}}
* {{ko-l|좌파|左派}}
* {{ko-l|좌우|左右}}
* {{ko-l|좌익|左翼}}
* {{ko-l|좌천|左遷}}
* {{ko-l|좌측|左側}}
* {{ko-l|좌향좌|左向左}}
* {{ko-l|좌수사|左水使}}
* {{ko-l|좌승지|左承旨}}
* {{ko-l|좌익수|左翼手}}
* {{ko-l|좌의정|左議政}}
* {{ko-l|좌우지간|左右之間}}
* {{ko-l|좌지우지|左之右之}}
{{der-bottom}}

===References===
* {{R:hanjadoc|2947}}

==Okinawan==
{{ryu-kanjitab|ひじゃい|yomi=kun}}

===Etymology===
From {{inh|ryu|jpx-ryu-pro|*pidari}}, from {{inh|ryu|jpx-pro|*pintari}}. Cognate with {{cog|ja|左|tr=hidari}}.

===Noun===
{{ryu-head|noun|ひじゃい}}

# {{lb|ryu|direction|sort=ひじゃい}} [[left]]

==Vietnamese==

===Han character===
{{vi-readings|reading=tả, tá|rs=工02}}

# left (direction)