Dictionary › 左

左

zuǒ

HSK 2 Character

What 左 means

1. left
2. the Left (politics)
3. east
4. unorthodox
5. queer
6. wrong
7. differing
8. opposite
9. variant of {佐|zuǒ}

Other readings

左 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• Zuǒsurname Zuo

Example sentences

• 左转!
  Turn left!
• 向左转。
  Turn to the left.
• 左看右看
  Look to your left, look to your right.
• 请左转。
  Please turn to the left.
• 举起左手。
  Raise up your left hand.
• 我是左撇子。
  Wǒ shì zuǒpiězi.
  I'm left-handed.

Words starting with 左

• 左边zuǒ bianleft; the left side; to the left of
• 左右zuǒ yòuleft and right; nearby; approximately
• 左手zuǒ shǒuleft hand; left-hand side
• 左侧zuǒ cèleft side
• 左派zuǒ pài(political) left; left wing; leftist
• 左翼zuǒ yìleft-wing (political)
• 左上zuǒ shàngupper left
• 左岸Zuǒ ànLeft Bank (in Paris)
• 左传Zuǒ ZhuànZuo Zhuan or Tsochuan, Mr Zuo's Annals or Mr Zuo's commentary on 春秋
• 左面zuǒ miànleft side
• 左顾右盼zuǒ gù yòu pànglancing to left and right (idiom); to look all around
• 左右为难zuǒ yòu wéi nán(idiom) between a rock and a hard place; in a dilemma
• 左邻右舍zuǒ lín yòu shèneighbors; next-door neighbors; related work units
• 左宗棠Zuǒ Zōng tángZuo Zongtang (1812-1885), Chinese administrator and military leader
• 左右手zuǒ yòu shǒuleft and right hands; (fig.) capable assistant; right-hand man
• 左倾zuǒ qīngleft-leaning; progressive
• 左下zuǒ xiàlower left
• 左思右想zuǒ sī yòu xiǎngto turn over in one's mind (idiom); to think through from different angles; to ponder
• 左右逢源zuǒ yòu féng yuánlit. to strike water right and left (idiom); fig. to turn everything into gold…
• 左思Zuǒ SīZuo Si (3rd century), Jin dynasty writer and poet
• 左营Zuǒ yíngZuoying or Tsoying district of Kaohsiung city 高雄市
• 左联Zuǒ Liánthe League of the Left-Wing Writers, an organization of writers formed in China in 1930…
• 左转zuǒ zhuǎnto turn left
• 左近zuǒ jìnnearby

Words containing 左

• 白左bái zuǒnaive, self-righteous Western liberals (neologism c. 2015)
• 相左xiāng zuǒto fail to meet each other; to conflict with each other; to be at odds with
• 巴林左Bā lín zuǒBairin Left banner of Baarin Züün khoshuu in Chifeng 赤峰
• 男左女右nán zuǒ nǚ yòuthe left is for males, the right is for females (traditional saying)
• 邻左lín zuǒneighbor
• 顾左右而言他gù zuǒ yòu ér yán tā(idiom) to digress from the topic of discussion
• 旁门左道páng mén zuǒ dàodissenting religious sect (idiom); heretical school of opinion; dissident group
• 巴林左旗Bā lín zuǒ qíBairin Left banner of Baarin Züün khoshuu in Chifeng 赤峰
• 土默特左旗Tǔ mò tè zuǒ qíTumed left banner, Mongolian Tümed züün khoshuu, in Hohhot 呼和浩特
• 苏尼特左旗Sū ní tè zuǒ qíSonid Left banner in Xilingol League 锡林郭勒盟
• 阿拉善左旗Ā lā shàn Zuǒ qíAlxa Left Banner, Mongolian Alshaa Züün khoshuu, in Alxa League 阿拉善盟
• 新巴尔虎左旗Xīn bā ěr hǔ zuǒ qíNew Barag left banner in Hulunbuir 呼伦贝尔
• 春秋左氏传Chūn qiū Zuǒ shì ZhuànMr Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals, attributed to famous blind historian Zuo Qiuming 左丘明…
• 崇左市Chóng zuǒ ShìChongzuo, prefecture-level city in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region 广西壮族自治区
• 向左拐xiàng zuǒ guǎito turn left
• 宁左勿右nìng zuǒ wù yòu(of one's political views) to prefer left rather than right…
• 不为左右袒bù wèi zuǒ yòu tǎnto remain neutral in a quarrel (idiom)
• 中国左翼作家联盟Zhōng guó Zuǒ yì Zuò jiā Lián méngthe League of the Left-Wing Writers, an organization of writers formed in China in 1930
• 科尔沁左翼中旗Kē ěr qìn zuǒ yì zhōng qíHorqin Left Middle banner or Khorchin Züün Garyn Dund khoshuu in Tongliao 通辽
• 科尔沁左翼后旗Kē ěr qìn zuǒ yì hòu qíHorqin Left Rear banner or Khorchin Züün Garyn Xoit khoshuu in Tongliao 通辽
• 喀喇沁左翼蒙古族自治县Kā lǎ qìn Zuǒ yì Měng gǔ zú Zì zhì xiànHarqin Left Mongol autonomous county in Chaoyang 朝阳
• 崇左Chóng zuǒsee 崇左市

Characters that look like 左

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 发fāto send out; to show (one's feeling); to issue
• 主zhǔowner; master; host
• 名míngname; noun (part of speech); place (e.g. among winners)
• 友yǒufriend
• 皮pískin; peel; rind; outer layer; leather; hide; fur; cover; wrapping; outer covering
• 亥hài12th earthly branch: 9-11 p.m., 10th solar month (7th November-6th December), year of the…

Sounds the same

Read zuǒ, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 佐to assist; assistant; aide
• 撮classifier for hair or grass: tuft; Taiwan pr. cuò
• 咗Cantonese particle equivalent to 了