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左面 (zuǒ miàn) — left side

Definition

noun
left side

Examples

  • 左面。
    Wǒ de zuǒ miàn yǒu yì zhāng zhuō zi.
    There is a table to my left.
  • 左面。
    Qǐng wǎng zuǒ miàn zǒu.
    Please go to the left side.
  • 左面。
    Tā de zuǒ miàn zuò zhe yí gè nǚ hái.
    A girl is sitting to his 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
面miànside

左 says which 面 is meant: the side on the left.

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.

面 originally drew a man’s face, with one eye exaggerated; the horizontal stroke was added later.

Open 面 →
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