左 (zuǒ) is a Chinese character meaning “left”. It is written from 𠂇 (the 'ナ' shape: a horizontal stroke crossed by a falling-left stroke) and 工 (work), one enclosing the other, and takes 5 strokes.
Build the character for “left”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
𠂇 + 工
Enclosing structure
Structure from: modern-glyph (hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：第 1–2 笔构成 𠂇，第 3–5 笔构成 工)
Memory aid
Both parts are really in this character: a hand (𠂇) sweeping down from the top left, and a carpenter's square (工) tucked underneath. The left hand holds the tool steady while the right hand does the work.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
5 strokes
In real words
- 左边zuǒ biānthe left side; on the left左 = zuǒspoken aszuǒ bianHSK 1
- 左右zuǒ yòuleft and right; (after a number) about, approximately左 = zuǒ
- 左侧zuǒ cèthe left side; on the left左 = zuǒ
Go deeper
All readings
left
left; the left side; on the left
面向前方时靠东的一边，与「右」相对。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 左边zuǒ biānthe left side; on the left左 = zuǒspoken aszuǒ bianHSK 1
- 左右zuǒ yòuleft and right; (after a number) about, approximately左 = zuǒ
- 左侧zuǒ cèthe left side; on the left左 = zuǒ
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 左 mean?
左 (zuǒ) means left; the left side; on the left.
How do you pronounce 左?
It is pronounced zuǒ.
What parts is 左 made of?
𠂇 (the 'ナ' shape: a horizontal stroke crossed by a falling-left stroke) and 工 (work), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: modern-glyph (hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：第 1–2 笔构成 𠂇，第 3–5 笔构成 工). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 左 have?
5. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 左?
工. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 左?
Common ones are 左边 and 左右. The reading of 左 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.