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左手 (zuǒ shǒu) — left hand

Definition

noun
left hand
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 左手。
    Tā xí guàn yòng zuǒ shǒu xiě zì.
    He is used to writing with his left hand.
  • 左手。
    Wǒ de zuǒ shǒu yǒu diǎn téng.
    My left hand hurts a bit.
  • 左手。
    Qǐng bǎ nǐ de zuǒ shǒu shēn chū lái.
    Please stretch out your left hand.

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.

左zuǒleft
手shǒuhand

左 points to the left side, and 手 means hand.

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.

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.

Open 左 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

手 draws a five-fingered human hand: the top line is a bent middle finger, and the horizontal lines show the other four fingers.

Open 手 →
Appears in
Body PartsDirections

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