左

KANJI DETAIL

left

On readingさ

5 strokesN5

Radical 工 · work

Stroke order

5 strokes

Japanese readings

On reading: さ
Kun reading: ひだり

Study notes

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

Structure: 左 means left; its kun-reading is ひだり and its on-reading is さ.
Basic usage: 左(ひだり) means left, while 左右(さゆう) means left and right or influence.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

Direction and influence on a result
- 舞台の左右 means the left and right sides of the stage. Used alone, 左 refers to the left side.
- 結果を左右する means to affect an outcome. In the example about weather affecting a game, 左右 expresses influence rather than direction.