How to say 'Left' in Japanese | 左

Wondering how to say 'Left' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Left is 'Hidari', written as 左 in Japanese.'Left' in hiragana is ひだり.

word

左

Meaning

Left

Reading

ひだり

hidari

Kanji

左Left

Explanation

The Japanese noun '左 (ひだり)' means 'left'. It refers to the direction or side that is opposite of right. This word is commonly used in everyday contexts to indicate direction, position, or orientation. For example: turn left「左に曲がってください」(ひだりにまがってください). The book is on the left「本は左にあります」(ほんはひだりにあります). It can also be used in compound words, such as '左手 (ひだりて)' meaning 'left hand'. Note that '左' is often used in contrast with '右 (みぎ)' meaning 'right'.

Part Of Speech

noun

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

1162

Composition

kanji

Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 左

This word contains 1 kanji character:

kanji

左

Meaning

Left

Words Related to 左 Through the Kanji 左

These 4 Words contain the Kanji 左 as well.

word

左右

Meaning

Leftright

word

左手

Meaning

Left hand

word

左利き

Meaning

Left handed

word

左側

Meaning

Left side

Learn the Word 左

Let's make sure you fully understand this word.

What does 'Hidari' (左) mean?

'Hidari' means 'Left' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.