Open the cupboard on the left; the bottles are in there.
Sentence #389813 from Tatoeba · translation adapted
How 左边 is built
Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.
左zuǒleft
左 is a single shape of 5 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.
边biansuffix of a noun of locality
力strength · lì
辶walking form of 辵 · chuòMeaning part
Memory aidWalk 辶 with all your strength 力 to reach the edge: side, edge.
How to write 左边
左 5 strokes · 边 5 strokes
Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.
Stroke order chart for 左边 (zuǒbian). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.
左边 (zuǒbian) means “left side” or “on the left”. It is an HSK 2 word, so it is one of the words learners meet early.
Say it zuǒbian: zuǒ with a 3rd tone, then bian with a neutral tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 左边 is written 左邊. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type zuobian with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 左边 from the suggestions. Typing zuobian into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
左边 is an HSK 2 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.
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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.
左zuǒ3rd tone, dipping
边bianneutral tone, light and short
