左 zuǒ
“left; the Left (politics); east”
locality word, adjective2021 list level 1
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
左 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 499: 左 zuǒ — Level 2; official annotation 2 (名). PDF page 92
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 左
A noun meaning "left" (the direction or side). On its own it mostly appears in fixed combinations like 左手 "left hand", 往左走 "go left", 向左转 "turn left"; as a location in a sentence, use 左边 instead of bare 左. The surname reading Zuǒ is unrelated to everyday usage.
例句Example sentences
- 请在前面那个路口往左走。qǐng zài qián miàn nà ge lù kǒu wǎng zuǒ zǒu.Please go left at the intersection ahead.
- 他左手拿着一个杯子。tā zuǒ shǒu ná zhe yí gè bēi zi.He is holding a cup in his left hand.
- 你向左看，那个红色的楼就是我们学校。nǐ xiàng zuǒ kàn, nà ge hóng sè de lóu jiù shì wǒ men xué xiào.Look to your left — that red building is our school.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗他的书在桌子左。
✓他的书在桌子左边。
Bare 左 cannot stand alone as a location after a noun; use the location word 左边 (桌子左边).
易混词Easily confused
左vs左边
左边 is the location word "on the left (side)" and can follow 在 or a noun (在左边, 桌子的左边); 左 alone is used before nouns (左手) or with 往/向 (往左走).
义项All meanings
- Zuǒ: surname Zuo
- zuǒ: left; the Left (politics); east; unorthodox; queer; wrong