# 左

| 左 | U+5DE6, &#24038; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5DE6 |
| ← 工 [U+5DE5] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 巧 → [U+5DE7] |

## Translingual
### Han character

左 (Kangxi radical 48, 工+2, 5 strokes, cangjie input 大一 (KM), four-corner 4001$_1$, composition ⿸𠂇工)

#### Derived characters

* 佐, 咗, 𣳇, 㝾, 袏, 䦈, 堶, 媠, 惰, 㨊, 遀, 隋, 楕, 㻟, 䙃, 䤻, 䭉, 䯝, 鰖, 毻, 隓, 鬌, 𠡃, 𢀡

#### Descendants

* さ

### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 325, character 8
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 8720
* Dae Jaweon: page 626, character 7
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 411, character 5
* Unihan data for U+5DE6

## Chinese

* 左 (Written Standard Chinese)
* 左 (Cantonese)
* Chó (sèⁿ) (Southern Min)

### Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 左 :
| Shang | Western Zhou | Warring States | Warring States | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) | Liushutong (compiled in Ming) |
| Oracle bone script | Bronze inscriptions | Chu slip and silk script | Qin slip script | Small seal script | Transcribed ancient scripts |
| | Old Chinese |
| 左 | *ʔsaːlʔ, *ʔsaːls |
| 佐 | *ʔsaːls |
| 袏 | *ʔslaːls |
| 蹉 | *sʰlaːl |
| 瑳 | *sʰlaːl, *sʰlaːlʔ |
| 搓 | *sʰlaːl |
| 磋 | *sʰlaːl |
| 溠 | *sʰlaːl, *sraːl, *ʔsraːls |
| 傞 | *sʰlaːl, *slaːl |
| 醝 | *zlaːl |
| 瘥 | *zlaːl, *ʔsljal, *sʰreːls |
| 鹺 | *zlaːl |
| 嵯 | *zlaːl, *sʰral |
| 嵳 | *zlaːl |
| 蒫 | *zlaːl, *ʔsljal, *ʔslɯl |
| 艖 | *zlaːl, *sʰraːl |
| 齹 | *zlaːl, *sʰral, *zral |
| 縒 | *slaːlʔ, *sʰral, *sʰlaːɡ |
| 褨 | *slaːlʔ |
| 嗟 | *ʔsljal |
| 差 | *sʰraːl, *sʰraːls, *sʰreːl, *sʰreːl, *sʰreːls, *sʰral |
| 鎈 | *sʰraːl |
| 槎 | *zraːl, *zraːlʔ |
| 髊 | *zlals |
Originally written 𠂇 and 䶹 in the oracle bone script: Pictogram (象形) – a left hand. Compare 又 (“right hand”).
Late bronze inscription forms show an added 工 (“work; to assist?”) component, making the current form a phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *ʔsaːlʔ, *ʔsaːls) and ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): phonetic 𠂇 (“left hand”) + semantic 工 (“work”), representing the original form of 佐 (OC *ʔsaːls, “to assist”).

### Etymology

Cognate with 佐 (OC *ʔsaːls, “to assist”) (< be on one's left side); mirror of the semantic relationship between 右 (OC *ɢʷɯʔ, “right”) and 佑 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “to assist”) (Schuessler, 2007).
Unrelated to Proto-Tibeto-Burman *b(w)aj (“left (hand)”) (STEDT).

#### “(politics) left-wing”

    Semantic loan from English left, in turn a semantic loan from French gauche.

### Pronunciation 1

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): zuǒ (zuo$^3$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄗㄨㄛˇ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): zo$^3$
    (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): zuò
    (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): зуә (zuə, II)
* Cantonese (Jyutping): zo$^2$
* Gan (Wiktionary): zo$^3$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): chó
    (Meixian, Guangdong): zo$^3$
* Jin (Wiktionary): ze$^2$
* Northern Min (KCR): cǒ̤
* Eastern Min (BUC): cō̤
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): chó / chó͘
    (Teochew, Peng'im): zo$^2$
* Wu (Northern, Wugniu): $^5$tsu / $^3$tsou / $^3$tso
* Xiang
    (Changsha, Wiktionary): zo$^3$
    (Hengyang, Wiktionary): zo$^3$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: zuǒ
*** Zhuyin: ㄗㄨㄛˇ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: zuǒ
*** Wade–Giles: tso$^3$
*** Yale: dzwǒ
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzuoo
*** Palladius: цзо (czo)
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡su̯ɔ²¹⁴/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: zo$^3$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: zo
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡so⁵³/
** (Xi'an)
*** Guanzhong Pinyin: zuò
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡suo⁵³/
** (Dungan)
*** Cyrillic and Wiktionary: зуә (zuə, II)
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡suə⁵¹/
    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: zo$^2$
*** Yale: jó
*** Cantonese Pinyin: dzo$^2$
*** Guangdong Romanization: zo$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sɔː³⁵/
* Gan
** (Nanchang)
*** Wiktionary: zo$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡so²¹³/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chó
*** Hakka Romanization System: zo$^ˋ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: zo$^3$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡so³¹/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: zo$^3$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡so³¹/
* Jin
** (Taiyuan)
*** Wiktionary: ze$^2$
*** Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡sɤ⁵³/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: cǒ̤
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sɔ²¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: cō̤
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡so³³/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chó
*** Tâi-lô: tsó
*** Phofsit Daibuun: zoir
*** IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /t͡so⁵³/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡so⁵⁵⁴/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sɤ⁴¹/
** (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chó͘
*** Tâi-lô: tsóo
*** Phofsit Daibuun: zor
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sɔ⁵⁵⁴/
* Quanzhou:
** chó - vernacular;
** chó͘ - literary.
* Dialectal data
| Variety | Location | edit左 |
| Mandarin | Beijing | /t͡suo²¹⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Harbin | /t͡suo²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Tianjin | /t͡suo¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Jinan | /t͡suə²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Qingdao | /t͡suə²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Zhengzhou | /t͡suo⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Xi'an | /t͡suo⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Xining | /t͡su⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Yinchuan | /t͡suə⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Lanzhou | /t͡suə⁴⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Ürümqi | /t͡suɤ⁵¹/ |
| Mandarin | Wuhan | /t͡suo⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Chengdu | /t͡so⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Guiyang | /t͡so⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Kunming | /t͡so⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Nanjing | /t͡so²¹²/ |
| Mandarin | Hefei | /t͡sʊ²⁴/ |
| Jin | Taiyuan | /t͡sɤ⁵³/ |
| Jin | Pingyao | /t͡ɕie̞³⁵/ |
| Jin | Hohhot | /t͡suɤ⁵³/ |
| Wu | Shanghai | /t͡su³⁵/ |
| Wu | Suzhou | /t͡səu⁵¹³/ |
| Wu | Hangzhou | /t͡so⁵³/ |
| Wu | Wenzhou | /t͡sɤu³⁵/ |
| Hui | Shexian | /t͡so³⁵/ |
| Hui | Tunxi | /t͡so³¹/ |
| Xiang | Changsha | /t͡so⁴¹/ |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | /t͡so⁴²/ |
| Gan | Nanchang | /t͡so²¹³/ |
| Hakka | Meixian | /t͡so³¹/ |
| Hakka | Taoyuan | /t͡so³¹/ |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | /t͡sɔ³⁵/ |
| Cantonese | Nanning | /t͡sɔ³⁵/ |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | /t͡sɔ³⁵/ |
| Min | Xiamen (Hokkien) | /t͡so⁵³/ |
| Min | Fuzhou (Eastern Min) | /t͡so³²/ |
| Min | Jian'ou (Northern Min) | /t͡sɔ²¹/ |
| Min | Shantou (Teochew) | /t͡so⁵³/ |
| Min | Haikou (Hainanese) | /to²¹³/ |
* Middle Chinese: tsaX
Rime :
| Character | 左 |
| Reading # | 1/2 |
| Initial (聲) | 精 (13) |
| Final (韻) | 歌 (94) |
| Tone (調) | Rising (X) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | I |
| Fanqie | 臧可切 |
| Baxter | tsaX |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /t͡sɑ$^X$/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /t͡sɑ$^X$/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /t͡sɑ$^X$/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /t͡sa$^X$/ |
| Li Rong | /t͡sɑ$^X$/ |
| Wang Li | /t͡sɑ$^X$/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /t͡sɑ$^X$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | zuǒ |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | zo$^2$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*tsˤa[j]ʔ/
    (Zhengzhang): /*ʔsaːlʔ/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 左 |
| Reading # | 1/3 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | zuǒ |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ tsa$^X$ › |
| Old Chinese | /*tsˁa[j]ʔ/ |
| English | left (side) |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 左 |
| Reading # | 1/2 |
| No. | 18004 |
| Phonetic component | 左 |
| Rime group | 歌 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 左 |
| Old Chinese | /*ʔsaːlʔ/ |

#### Definitions

左
* left (direction)
    左手 ― zuǒshǒu ― left hand
* east; areas to the east
    江左 ― jiāngzuǒ ― area east of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River
* (nautical) port
    左舷 ― zuǒxián ― portside
* (historical) inferior position
* unorthodox; wrong
* erroneously; mistakingly
    你想左了。 ― Nǐ xiǎng zuǒ le. ― You are mistaken.
* different; divided; inconsistent
    相左 ― xiàngzuǒ ― to conflict with each other; to fail to agree
* (politics) left-wing
* (chemistry) levo-
    左多巴 ― zuǒduōbā ― levodopa
* (Sichuanese, of singing) out of tune; off-key
* (Southwestern Mandarin, including Sichuanese) to exchange
* (Eastern Min) devious, dishonest
* (Xiang) wrong; incorrect
* a surname
    左宗棠 ― Zuǒ Zōngtáng ― Zuo Zongtang (Qing dynasty Chinese statesman and military leader)

##### Usage notes

In socialist nations e.g. mainland China, 左 is usually (not necessarily) put in quotation marks when referring to the leftism further to the correct party line.

##### Synonyms

| Variety | Location | Words |
| Classical Chinese | Classical Chinese | 左 |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Chengde | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Chifeng | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Hulunbuir (Hailar) | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Heihe | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Qiqihar | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Harbin | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Jiamusi | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Baicheng | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Changchun | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Tonghua | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Shenyang | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Jinzhou | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Malaysia | 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 左 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Tianjin | 左 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Tangshan | 左 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Cangzhou | 左 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Baoding | 左 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Shijiazhuang | 左 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Lijin | 左 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 左 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Dalian | 左 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Dandong | 左 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai | 左 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Qingdao | 左 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Zhucheng | 左 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Lingbao | 左 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Jining | 左 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Wanrong | 左 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Linfen | 左 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Shangqiu | 左 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Yuanyang | 左 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Zhengzhou | 左 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xinyang | 左 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Baihe | 左 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 左 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Baoji | 左 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Tianshui | 左 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xining | 左 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xuzhou | 左 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Fuyang | 左 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Yinchuan | 左 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Lanzhou | 左 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Dunhuang | 左 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Hami | 左 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Ürümqi | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Nanchong | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Dazhou | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Hanyuan | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Xichang | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Zigong | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chongqing | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Yichang | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Xiangyang | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Tianmen | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guiyang | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Zunyi | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Bijie | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liping | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Zhaotong | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Dali | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Kunming | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Mengzi | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liuzhou | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Jishou | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Changde | 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Hanzhong | 左 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nanjing | 左 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 左 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Lianyungang | 左 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Lianshui | 左 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nantong | 左 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Anqing | 左 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Wuhu | 左 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 左 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hong'an | 左 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 左 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 左 |
| Cantonese | Macau | 左 |
| Cantonese | Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) | 左 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 左 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 左 |
| Gan | Lichuan | 左 |
| Huizhou | Shexian | 左 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 左 |
| Jin | Yangyuan | 左 |
| Jin | Datong | 左 |
| Jin | Xinzhou | 左 |
| Jin | Lüliang (Lishi) | 左 |
| Jin | Changzhi | 左 |
| Jin | Linhe | 左 |
| Jin | Jining | 左 |
| Jin | Hohhot | 左 |
| Jin | Erenhot | 左 |
| Jin | Pingshan | 左 |
| Jin | Zhangjiakou | 左 |
| Jin | Handan | 左 |
| Jin | Linzhou | 左 |
| Jin | Suide | 左 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 左 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 倒 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Sanxia) | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Yilan | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Changhua (Lukang) | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Taichung | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Hsinchu | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Kinmen | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Magong) | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Shantou | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Jieyang | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | 倒 |
| Southern Min | Wenchang | 左 |
| Zhongshan Min | Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) | 左 |
| Variety | Location | Words |
| Classical Chinese | Classical Chinese | 過誤, 誤, 謬, 謬誤, 訛 |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 錯, 不對, 錯誤 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 錯, 左 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 錯, 不對 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Malaysia | 錯, 不對 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 錯, 不對 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 錯, 差 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 錯 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Ürümqi | 錯 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 錯, 拐 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 錯, 左 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 錯 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nanjing | 差 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 錯 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 錯, 唔啱 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 錯, 唔啱 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Macau | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Panyu) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) | 唔啱 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Conghua) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Zengcheng) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Foshan | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shunde) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Sanshui) | 錯, 唔啱 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Zhongshan (Shiqi) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Doumen) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Baisha) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Xinhui) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Kaiping (Chikan) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Enping (Niujiang) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Heshan (Yayao) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Yangjiang | 錯 |
| Cantonese | Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) | 唔啱, 錯 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 唔啱, 錯 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 錯 |
| Gan | Lichuan | 錯 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 差, 唔啱 |
| Hakka | Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) | 錯 |
| Hakka | Dongguan (Qingxi) | 錯 |
| Hakka | Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) | 錯 |
| Hakka | Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) | 錯 |
| Hakka | Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) | 錯 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 唔著 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 唔著 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 唔著 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 唔著 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 唔著 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 唔著 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 錯, 不對, 差 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 錯 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 賺 |
| Eastern Min | Matsu | 賺 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 賺, 毋著 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 賺, 毋著 |
| Southern Min | Shishi | 賺 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 賺, 毋著 |
| Southern Min | Zhao'an | 毋著 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 毋著 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung | 毋著 |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | salah, 毋著, 賺 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | salah, 毋著 |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 毋著, 賺 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 賺 |
| Southern Min | Shantou | 賺, 唔對, 唔著 |
| Southern Min | Jieyang | 賺 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | salah, 唔著, 賺 |
| Southern Min | Leizhou | 無著 |
| Southern Min | Wenchang | 無著 |
| Southern Min | Haikou | 錯 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hainanese) | 無著 |
| Zhongshan Min | Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) | 錯, 唔啱 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 錯 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 錯 |
| Wu | Ningbo | 錯, 賺 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 賺 |
| Wu | Jinhua | 賺 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 錯, 左 |
| Xiang | Shuangfeng | 造, 錯 |

##### Antonyms

* 右 (yòu, “right”)

### Pronunciation 2

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): zuǒ (zuo$^3$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄗㄨㄛˇ
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: zuǒ
*** Zhuyin: ㄗㄨㄛˇ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: zuǒ
*** Wade–Giles: tso$^3$
*** Yale: dzwǒ
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzuoo
*** Palladius: цзо (czo)
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡su̯ɔ²¹⁴/
* Middle Chinese: tsaX, tsaH
Rime :
| Character | 左 | 左 |
| Reading # | 1/2 | 2/2 |
| Initial (聲) | 精 (13) | 精 (13) |
| Final (韻) | 歌 (94) | 歌 (94) |
| Tone (調) | Rising (X) | Departing (H) |
| Openness (開合) | Open | Open |
| Division (等) | I | I |
| Fanqie | 臧可切 | 則箇切 |
| Baxter | tsaX | tsaH |
| Reconstructions |||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /t͡sɑ$^X$/ | /t͡sɑ$^H$/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /t͡sɑ$^X$/ | /t͡sɑ$^H$/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /t͡sɑ$^X$/ | /t͡sɑ$^H$/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /t͡sa$^X$/ | /t͡sa$^H$/ |
| Li Rong | /t͡sɑ$^X$/ | /t͡sɑ$^H$/ |
| Wang Li | /t͡sɑ$^X$/ | /t͡sɑ$^H$/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /t͡sɑ$^X$/ | /t͡sɑ$^H$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | zuǒ | zuò |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | zo$^2$ | zo$^3$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*tsˤa[j]ʔ/, /*tsˤarʔ-s/
    (Zhengzhang): /*ʔsaːlʔ/, /*ʔsaːls/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 左 | 左 |
| Reading # | 2/3 | 3/3 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | zuǒ | zuǒ |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ tsa$^X$ › | ‹ tsa$^H$ › |
| Old Chinese | /*tsˁa[j]ʔ/ | /*tsˁarʔ-s/ |
| English | assist | assist |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. |||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 左 | 左 |
| Reading # | 1/2 | 2/2 |
| No. | 18004 | 18006 |
| Phonetic component | 左 | 左 |
| Rime group | 歌 | 歌 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 左 | 佐 |
| Old Chinese | /*ʔsaːlʔ/ | /*ʔsaːls/ |

#### Definitions

左
* (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) Original form of 佐 (zuǒ, “to assist”).

### Compounds

* 不左不右
* 反左書 / 反左书
* 可操左券
* 如左右手
* 如持左券
* 左不過 / 左不过
* 左丘 (Zuǒqiū)
* 左丞
* 左乙
* 左使
* 左來右去 / 左来右去
* 左側 / 左侧 (zuǒcè)
* 左傾 / 左倾 (zuǒqīng)
* 左傳 / 左传 (Zuǒzhuàn)
* 左列
* 左券 (zuǒquàn)
* 左券在握
* 左……右……
* 左史
* 左右 (zuǒyòu)
* 左右兩難 / 左右两难
* 左右前後 / 左右前后
* 左右夾攻 / 左右夹攻
* 左右手 (zuǒyòushǒu)
* 左右支絀 / 左右支绌
* 左右為難 / 左右为难 (zuǒyòuwéinán)
* 左右翼
* 左右袒
* 左右逢源 (zuǒyòuféngyuán)
* 左右開弓 / 左右开弓
* 左嗓子
* 左圖右史 / 左图右史 (zuǒtúyòushǐ)
* 左契
* 左學 / 左学 (zuǒxué)
* 左宜右有
* 左嵐 / 左岚 (Zuǒlán)
* 左師 / 左师 (zuǒshī)
* 左徒
* 左心室 (zuǒxīnshì)
* 左性
* 左思右想 (zuǒsīyòuxiǎng)
* 左手 (zuǒshǒu)
* 左挈右提
* 左拾遺 / 左拾遗
* 左提右挈
* 左撇子 (zuǒpiězi)
* 左擁右抱 / 左拥右抱 (zuǒyōngyòubào)
* 左支右吾
* 左支右絀 / 左支右绌 (zuǒzhīyòuchù)
* 左方
* 左書 / 左书
* 左榜右臂
* 左權 / 左权 (Zuǒquán)
* 左氏春秋
* 左江 (Zuǒjiāng)
* 左派 (zuǒpài)
* 左海 (zuǒhǎi)
* 左湊 / 左凑
* 左溪寺 (Zuǒxīsì)
* 左營 / 左营 (Zuǒyíng)
* 左猜
* 左獄 / 左狱
* 左皮氣 / 左皮气
* 左縈右拂 / 左萦右拂
* 左纛
* 左翼 (zuǒyì)
* 左舷 (zuǒxián)
* 左行
* 左衝右突 / 左冲右突 (zuǒchōngyòutū)
* 左衽 (zuǒrèn)
* 左袒 (zuǒtǎn)
* 左計 / 左计
* 左證 / 左证 (zuǒzhèng)
* 左賢王 / 左贤王
* 左輔右弼 / 左辅右弼
* 左輪 / 左轮 (zuǒlún)
* 左轉 / 左转 (zuǒzhuǎn)
* 左近 (zuǒjìn)
* 左道 (zuǒdào)
* 左道旁門 / 左道旁门
* 左遮右攩 / 左遮右挡
* 左遷 / 左迁 (zuǒqiān)
* 左邊 / 左边 (zuǒbiān)
* 左鄰右舍 / 左邻右舍 (zuǒlínyòushè)
* 左鎮 / 左镇 (Zuǒzhèn, “Zuojhen”)
* 左鎮人 / 左镇人
* 左降
* 左面 (zuǒmiàn)
* 左顧 / 左顾
* 左顧右盼 / 左顾右盼 (zuǒgùyòupàn)
* 左首 (zuǒshǒu)
* 弄左性
* 所謀輒左 / 所谋辄左
* 披髮左衽 / 披发左衽 (pīfàzuǒrèn)
* 持左券
* 操左券
* 旁門左道 / 旁门左道 (pángménzuǒdào)
* 江左 (Jiāngzuǒ)
* 江左夷吾
* 淮左
* 牛心左性
* 男左女右 (nánzuǒnǚyòu)
* 相左 (xiāngzuǒ)
* 穩操左券 / 稳操左券
* 羊左之誼 / 羊左之谊
* 虛左 / 虚左
* 虛左以待 / 虚左以待
* 被髮左衽 / 被发左衽 (pīfàzuǒrèn)
* 證左 / 证左
* 道左 (dàozuǒ)
* 鄰左 / 邻左
* 閭左 / 闾左
* 驗左 / 验左

### Descendants

* → Japanese: 左(さ) (sa)
* → Korean: 좌(左) (jwa)
* → Vietnamese: tả (左)
Others:
* → Ahom: 𑜏𑜩 (say, “left”)
* → Bouyei: soix (“left”)
* → English: Tso, Zuo
* → Lao: ຊ້າຍ (sāi, “left”)
* → Shan: သၢႆႉ (sâ̰ai, “left”)
* → Thai: ซ้าย (sáai, “left”)
* → Zhuang: swix (“left”)

### References

* “左”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
* Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A01151

## Japanese
### Kanji

(First grade kyōiku kanji)

#### Readings

* Go-on: さ (sa, Jōyō)
* Kan-on: さ (sa, Jōyō)
* Kun: ひだり (hidari, 左, Jōyō)、と (to, 左)

#### Alternative forms

* 㔫

#### Compounds

* 左(さ)遷(せん) (sasen)
* 左(さ)官(かん) (sakan)
* 左(さ)派(は) (saha)
* 左(さ)右(ゆう) (sayū)
* 左(さ)翼(よく) (sayoku)

### Etymology 1

* Kanji in this term
* 左
* ひだり Grade: 1
* kun'yomi
[pidari] → [ɸidari] → [çidari].
From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE. From Proto-Japonic *pintari.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) ひだり [hìdárí] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [çida̠ɾʲi]

#### Noun

左(ひだり) • (hidari)
* (direction) left, the side of the left hand
** 1603, Vocabvlario da Lingoa de Iapam (Nippo Jisho) [Vocabulary of the Language of Japan] (in Portuguese), Nagasaki, page 229:Fidari. ヒダリ (左) 左手, または, 左の方(please add an English translation of this quotation)
** 1999 August 10, “封(ふう)印(いん)されし者(もの)の左(ひだり)腕(うで) [Left Arm of the Sealed One]”, in 幻の召喚神 [Phantom God], Konami:
    封(ふう)印(いん)された左(ひだり)腕(うで)。封(ふう)印(いん)を解(と)くと、無(む)限(げん)の力(ちから)を得(え)られる。
       Fūinsareta hidariude. Fūin o toku to, mugen no chikara o erareru.
       A sealed left arm. Whosoever breaks the seal shall earn infinite power.
* (politics) a leftist

##### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “left”): 右(みぎ) (migi, “right”)

##### Derived terms

* 左(ひだり)側(がわ) (hidarigawa)
* 左(ひだり)利(き)き (hidarikiki)
* 左(ひだり)手(て) (hidarite)
* 左(ひだり)巻(ま)き (hidarimaki)
* 左(ひだり)上(うえ) (hidariue)
* 左(ひだり)下(した) (hidarishita)
* 右(みぎ)左(ひだり) (migihidari)

### Etymology 2

* Kanji in this term
* 左
* さ Grade: 1
* on'yomi
From Middle Chinese 左.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) さ [sáꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])
* IPA: [sa̠]

#### Noun

左(さ) • (sa)
* the left in vertical writing
* the following (one)
** 1905–06, Natsume Sōseki, I Am a Cat (text here):
    吾(わが)輩(はい)はまず彼(かれ)がどのくらい無(む)学(がく)であるかを試(ため)してみようと思(おも)って左(さ)の問(もん)答(どう)をして見(み)た。
       Wagahai wa mazu kare ga dono kurai mugaku de aru ka o tameshite miyō to omotte sa no mondō o shite mita.
       To judge just how uneducated he was, I posed the following question.

#### Prefix

左(さ) • (sa-)
* to the left; on the left side
* (history, government) "of the left", senior or superior to 右 (u-, “of the right”)
    左(さ)衛(え)門(もん)
       Saemon
       the Gate Guard of the Left
    左(さ)大(だい)臣(じん)
       Sadaijin
       the Minister of the Left

### References

* ↑ “左”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
* 1 2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
   * Doi, Tadao (1603–1604) Hōyaku Nippo Jisho (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, published 1980, →ISBN.

## Korean
### Etymology

From Middle Chinese 左 (MC tsaX).
* Recorded as Middle Korean 장〯 (Yale: cǎ) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.
* Recorded as Middle Korean 좌〯 (cwǎ) (Yale: cwǎ) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

### Pronunciation

* (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [t͡ɕwa̠(ː)]
* Phonetic hangul: [좌(ː)]
** Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

### Hanja

Wikisource 左 (eumhun 왼 좌 (oen jwa))
* hanja form of 좌 (“left (direction)”)

#### Derived terms

* 좌수사 (左水使, jwasusa)
* 좌승지 (左承旨, jwaseungji)
* 좌우 (左右, jwau)
* 좌우지간 (左右之間, jwaujigan)
* 좌의정 (左議政, jwauijeong)
* 좌익 (左翼, jwaik)
* 좌익수 (左翼手, jwaiksu)
* 좌지우지 (左之右之, jwajiuji)
* 좌천 (左遷, jwacheon)
* 좌측 (左側, jwacheuk)
* 좌파 (左派, jwapa)
* 좌향좌 (左向左, jwahyangjwa)

### References

* 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

## Okinawan

* Kanji in this term
* 左
* ひじゃい Grade: 1
* kun'yomi

### Etymology

From Proto-Ryukyuan *pidari, from Proto-Japonic *pintari. Cognate with Japanese 左 (hidari).

### Noun

左(ひじゃい) (hijai)
* (direction) left

## Vietnamese
### Han character

左: Hán Nôm readings: tả, tá
* left (direction)