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左边 (zuǒ bian) — left side; to the left (of)

Definition

左边 (zuǒ bian) means 'the left side' — the direction noun 左 with the noun-forming 边. Pairs with 右边 ('the right side'); unlike 旁边 ('beside'), 左边 specifies a side, not just being next to.

noun
left sideto the left (of)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 左边。
    Fàn guǎn zài wǒ jiā de zuǒ bian.
    The restaurant is to the left of my home.
  • 左边。
    Qǐng wǎng zuǒ bian zǒu.
    Please go to the left.
  • 左边。
    zuǒ bian Yǒu yì zhāng zhuō zi.
    There is a table on the left.

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
边biānside

左 means left and 边 means side, so the word points to the left 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.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 邊; 边 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalking; movement
Sound part声符shēngfú
臱
臱mián邊biān(r)
Same sound today

The traditional form 邊 pairs 辶 (walking; movement) with the sound part 臱; the simplified 边 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 边 →
Appears in
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