左方 (zuǒ fāng) — left side | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

left side

Examples

左方。
Tú shū guǎn zài cāo chǎng zuǒ fāng.
The library is on the left side of the playground.
左方。
Cóng zuǒ fāng zǒu guò lái yí gè rén.
A person is coming from the left side.
左方。
Qǐng bǎ chē tíng zài dào lù zuǒ fāng.
Please park the car on the left side of the road.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

The side on the left, 左 'left' specifying 方 'side'.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

𠂇工左

Meaning part形符xíngfú

工工gōngwork

Sound part声符shēngfú

𠂇

𠂇𠂇左zuǒ

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

左 grew from the picture 𠂇, a left hand, with 工 (work) added later.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in

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