右

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order (Japan)

Han character

右 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+2, 5 strokes, cangjie input 大口 (KR), four-corner 4060₀, composition ⿸𠂇口)

Derived characters

• 佑 㤑 㳓 𣭊 祐 䧺 若 𠯌 𢙵 槗 𣖻 醢

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 173, character 5
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3250
• Dae Jaweon: page 385, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 569, character 1
• Unihan data for U+53F3

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 右
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Originally 又 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “right hand”) in the oracle bone script.

In bronze inscriptions, a 口 (“mouth; speech”) component was added, perhaps with the intention of indicating the use of 又 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “again”) is a phonetic loan. In other words, the current form is a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɢʷɯʔ, *ɢʷɯs) and ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : phonetic 又 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “right hand”) + semantic 口.

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g-(j/r)a (“right (hand)”) (STEDT). Cognate with Tibetan གཡས (g.yas, “right”), Jingpho hkra (khʒa⁵⁵, “right”), Burmese ယာ (ya), ညာ (nya).

友 (OC *ɢʷɯʔ, “be friendly; friend”) is the endoactive derivation of 右 (OC *ɢʷɯʔ) (Schuessler, 2007).

佑 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “to aid”), 祐 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “(of divinity) to assist; to bless”), 宥 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “to pardon; magnanimous”) are exoactive derivations of 右 (OC *ɢʷɯʔ) (ibid.).

“(politics) right-wing”

Semantic loan from English right, in turn a semantic loan from French droite.

Pronunciation 1

Definitions

右

1. right (direction)

   右手  ―  yòushǒu  ―  right hand

2. west; areas to the west
3. (historical) right side as the side of precedence
4. (politics) right-wing
5. (chemistry) dextro-

   右美沙芬  ―  yòuměishāfēn  ―  dextromethorphan

6. a surname

Synonyms

Antonyms

• 左 (zuǒ, “left”)

Pronunciation 2

Definitions

右

1. ^† Original form of 佑 (yòu, “to assist”).
2. ^† Original form of 祐 (yòu, “to protect; to bless”).
3. ^† to take somebody's side
4. ^† Alternative form of 侑 (yòu, “to urge somebody to eat or drink”)

Compounds

Descendants

Others:

• → Bouyei: gvaz (“right”)
• → Lao: ຂວາ (khuā, “right”)
• → Lü: ᦧᦱ (ẋwaa, “right”)
• → Northern Thai: ᨡ᩠ᩅᩣ (“right”)
• → Shan: ၶႂႃ (khwǎa, “right”)
• → Thai: ขวา (kwǎa, “right”)
• → Zhuang: gvaz (“right”)

References

• “右”, 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), A00483

Japanese

Kanji

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. right
2. conservative
3. right-wing, right fielder
4. respect for
5. aid, assist, counsel

Readings

• Go-on: う (u, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: ゆう (yū, Jōyō)^{←いう (iu, historical)}
• Kun: みぎ (migi, 右, Jōyō); かく (kaku, 右); こう (kō, 右)^{←かう (kau, 右, historical)}
• Nanori: あき (aki); あきら (akira); これ (kore); すけ (suke); たか (taka); たすく (tasuku)

Compounds

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) みぎ (Heiban – ) general
• (Tokyo) み​ぎ (Atamadaka – ) “the above statement, foregoing”
• IPA^(key):

Noun

右(みぎ) • (migi) 

1. right (direction)

   私(わたし)は右(みぎ)の目(め)が見(み)えない。

   Watashi wa migi no me ga mienai.

   I can't see with my right eye.

   • 1999 July 22, “封(ふう)印(いん)されし者(もの)の右(みぎ)足(あし)”, in Vol.4, Konami:

     封(ふう)印(いん)された右(みぎ)足(あし)。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 migiashi. Fūin o toku to, mugen no chikara o erareru.

     A sealed right leg. Whosoever breaks the seal shall earn infinite power.

2. (in vertical writing of Japanese, with columns running right to left) the above statement, foregoing
3. (politics) the right wing, a rightist
4. (historical) a superior during in the Chinese Warring States period

   Synonym: 上位 (jōi)

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of "right, rightist"): 左(ひだり) (hidari, “left”)

Derived terms

Proverbs

Etymology 2

The final り (ri) is likely by analogy with its antonym 左 (hidari, “left”).

Noun

右(みぎり) • (migiri) 

1. (archaic) Same as みぎ (migi) above

Etymology 3

The “right (direction)” and “respect, esteem, value” senses are from Middle Chinese 右 (MC hjuwX).

The “aid, assist” sense is from Middle Chinese 右 / 佑 (MC hjuwH).

The kan'on pronunciation, so likely a later borrowing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Affix

右(ゆう) • (yū) ^{←いう (iu)?}

1. right (direction)
2. respect; esteem; value
3. Alternative form of 佑 (yū, “aid; assist”)

Etymology 4

From Middle Chinese 右 (MC hjuwX).

The goon pronunciation, so likely the initial borrowing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Prefix

右(う) • (u-) 

1. right (direction)
2. (politics) right-wing
3. (baseball) right fielder
4. (history, government) "of the right", junior or subordinate to 左 (sa-, “of the left”)

   右(う)衛(え)門(もん)

   Uemon

   the Gate Guard of the Right

   右(う)大(だい)臣(じん)

   Udaijin

   the Minister of the Right

References

Korean

Etymology 1

Hanja

右 (eumhun 오른쪽 우 (oreunjjok u))

1. Hanja form^? of 우 (“right (direction)”).

Compounds

• 좌우 (左右, jwau, “left and right”)
• 우측 (右側, ucheuk, “right side”)
• 우측보행 (右側步行, ucheukbohaeng, “to walk on the right side”)
• 남좌여우 (男左女右, namjwayeou, “the left is for males, the right is for females (traditional saying)”)
• 극우 (極右 , geugu, “the far right”)
• 좌우명 (座右銘, jwaumyeong, “maxim; motto, watchword”)

Etymology 2

Hanja

右 (eumhun 도울 우 (doul u))

1. Hanja form^? of 우 (“to help; to aid; to assist; to give a hand”).

Vietnamese

Han character

右: Hán Nôm readings: hữu

1. right (direction)