Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
左右. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
左右, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
左右 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
左右 you have here. The definition of the word
左右 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
左右, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
Pronunciation
Note: zo2 jau6-2 only used in the "about" sense.
Rime
|
Character
|
左
|
左
|
右
|
右
|
Reading #
|
1/2
|
2/2
|
1/2
|
2/2
|
Initial (聲)
|
精 (13)
|
精 (13)
|
云 (35)
|
云 (35)
|
Final (韻)
|
歌 (94)
|
歌 (94)
|
尤 (136)
|
尤 (136)
|
Tone (調)
|
Rising (X)
|
Departing (H)
|
Rising (X)
|
Departing (H)
|
Openness (開合)
|
Open
|
Open
|
Open
|
Open
|
Division (等)
|
I
|
I
|
III
|
III
|
Fanqie
|
臧可切
|
則箇切
|
云久切
|
于救切
|
Baxter
|
tsaX
|
tsaH
|
hjuwX
|
hjuwH
|
Reconstructions
|
Zhengzhang Shangfang
|
/t͡sɑX/
|
/t͡sɑH/
|
/ɦɨuX/
|
/ɦɨuH/
|
Pan Wuyun
|
/t͡sɑX/
|
/t͡sɑH/
|
/ɦiuX/
|
/ɦiuH/
|
Shao Rongfen
|
/t͡sɑX/
|
/t͡sɑH/
|
/ɣiəuX/
|
/ɣiəuH/
|
Edwin Pulleyblank
|
/t͡saX/
|
/t͡saH/
|
/ɦuwX/
|
/ɦuwH/
|
Li Rong
|
/t͡sɑX/
|
/t͡sɑH/
|
/ɣiuX/
|
/ɣiuH/
|
Wang Li
|
/t͡sɑX/
|
/t͡sɑH/
|
/ɣĭəuX/
|
/ɣĭəuH/
|
Bernhard Karlgren
|
/t͡sɑX/
|
/t͡sɑH/
|
/i̯ə̯uX/
|
/i̯ə̯uH/
|
Expected Mandarin Reflex
|
zuǒ
|
zuò
|
yǒu
|
yòu
|
Expected Cantonese Reflex
|
zo2
|
zo3
|
jau5
|
jau6
|
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
|
Character
|
左
|
左
|
左
|
右
|
右
|
Reading #
|
1/3
|
2/3
|
3/3
|
1/2
|
2/2
|
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)
|
zuǒ
|
zuǒ
|
zuǒ
|
yòu
|
yòu
|
Middle Chinese
|
‹ tsaX ›
|
‹ tsaX ›
|
‹ tsaH ›
|
‹ hjuwX ›
|
‹ hjuwH ›
|
Old Chinese
|
/*tsˁaʔ/
|
/*tsˁaʔ/
|
/*tsˁarʔ-s/
|
/*ʷəʔ/
|
/*ʷəʔ-s/ (~ *m-qʷəʔ)
|
English
|
left (side)
|
assist
|
assist
|
right hand
|
right hand
|
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:
* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;
* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
|
Zhengzhang system (2003)
|
Character
|
左
|
左
|
右
|
右
|
Reading #
|
1/2
|
2/2
|
1/2
|
2/2
|
No.
|
18004
|
18006
|
15597
|
15604
|
Phonetic component
|
左
|
左
|
又
|
又
|
Rime group
|
歌
|
歌
|
之
|
之
|
Rime subdivision
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
Corresponding MC rime
|
左
|
佐
|
有
|
宥
|
Old Chinese
|
/*ʔsaːlʔ/
|
/*ʔsaːls/
|
/*ɢʷɯʔ/
|
/*ɢʷɯs/
|
Noun
左右
- left and right
- left and right sides; both sides
參差荇菜,左右流之。…窈窕淑女,琴瑟友之。參差荇菜、左右芼之。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
参差荇菜,左右流之。…窈窕淑女,琴瑟友之。参差荇菜、左右芼之。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]- From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11th – 7th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Cēncī xìngcài, zuǒyòu liú zhī.... Yǎotiǎoshūnǚ, qínsè yǒu zhī. Cēncī xìngcài, zuǒ yòu mào zhī.
- Here long, there short, is the duckweed, To the left, to the right, borne about by the current.
The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady: With lutes, small and large, let us give her friendly welcome.
Here long, there short, is the duckweed; On the left, on the right, we cook and present it.
- entourage; retinue; attendants
Postposition
左右
- about; or so; or thereabouts; around; approximately
他身高可能在三米左右。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]- Tā shēngāo kěnéng zài sān mǐ zuǒyòu.
- He was about three meters tall.
30分鐘左右 [Cantonese, trad.]
30分钟左右 [Cantonese, simp.]- saam1 sap6 fan1 zung1 zo2 jau6-2
- about 30 minutes
我估計溫度都在十度左右吧。 [MSC, trad.]
我估计温度都在十度左右吧。 [MSC, simp.]- Wǒ gūjì wēndù dōu zài shí dù zuǒyòu ba.
- I guess the temperature is around ten degrees now.
Synonyms
- 上下 (shàngxià)
- 光景 (guāngjǐng)
- 前後/前后 (qiánhòu) (of a point in or period of time)
- 參差/参差 (cēncī) (literary)
- 大抵 (dàdǐ)
- 大概 (dàgài)
- 大率 (dàshuài) (literary)
- 大約/大约 (dàyuē)
- 大約摸/大约摸 (dàyuēmō) (colloquial)
- 大致 (dàzhì)
- 模樣/模样
- 無慮/无虑 (wúlǜ) (literary)
- 約摸/约摸 (yuēmo)
- 約略/约略 (yuēlüè)
Verb
左右
- to control; to manipulate; to influence
Synonyms
- 主宰 (zhǔzǎi)
- 主張/主张 (zhǔzhāng) (archaic)
- 克制 (kèzhì)
- 克治 (kèzhì) (literary)
- 制禦/制御 (zhìyù) (literary)
- 制約/制约 (zhìyuē)
- 君 (jūn) (literary)
- 執掌/执掌 (zhízhǎng)
- 壓制/压制 (yāzhì)
- 壓抑/压抑 (yāyì)
- 局 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
- 局限 (júxiàn)
- 把
- 抑制 (yìzhì)
- 把持 (bǎchí)
- 把控 (bǎkòng)
- 把攬/把揽 (bǎlǎn)
- 抵制 (dǐzhì)
- 拘束 (jūshù)
- 按 (àn)
- 按捺 (ànnà) (usually in the negative)
- 控 (literary, or in compounds)
- 控制 (kòngzhì)
- 掌控 (zhǎngkòng)
- 掌握 (zhǎngwò)
- 提控 (tíkòng) (literary)
- 撥弄/拨弄 (bōnòng)
- 撙節/撙节 (zǔnjié)
- 操控 (cāokòng)
- 操縱/操纵 (cāozòng)
- 擺佈/摆布 (bǎibù)
- 擺治/摆治 (bǎizhì) (regional)
- 支配 (zhīpèi)
- 收斂/收敛 (shōuliǎn)
- 束 (literary, or in compounds)
- 束縛/束缚 (shùfù)
- 柄 (literary, or in compounds)
- 框 (kuàng)
- 禁錮/禁锢 (jìngù) (figurative)
- 積壓/积压 (jīyā) (figurative)
- 節制/节制 (jiézhì)
- 節撙/节撙 (Quanzhou Hokkien, Xiamen Hokkien)
- 管制 (guǎnzhì)
- 管束 (guǎnshù)
- 約束/约束 (yuēshù)
- 統御/统御 (tǒngyù) (literary)
- 統治/统治 (tǒngzhì)
- 羈束/羁束 (jīshù) (literary)
- 裁 (cái) (literary, or in compounds)
- 遏抑 (èyì) (literary)
- 鎮/镇 (zhèn)
- 限 (xiàn)
- 限乏 (Xiamen Hokkien)
- 限制 (xiànzhì)
- 駕/驾 (jià)
- 駕馭/驾驭 (jiàyù) (figurative)
Derived terms
Descendants
Japanese
Etymology 1
From 左 (sa, “left”) + 右 (yū, “right”).
Pronunciation
Noun
左右 • (sayū)
- left and right
- 横断歩道を渡る前には、左右を確認する。
- Ōdanhodō o wataru mae ni wa, sayū o kakunin suru.
- Check left and right before you cross the road.
- both sides
- control
- influence
Synonyms
Derived terms
Verb
左右する • (sayū suru) suru (stem 左右し (sayū shi), past 左右した (sayū shita))
- to sway, to influence
- to have under one's control
Conjugation
Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
|
Mizenkei ("imperfective")
|
左右し
|
さゆうし
|
sayū shi
|
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")
|
左右し
|
さゆうし
|
sayū shi
|
Shūshikei ("terminal")
|
左右する
|
さゆうする
|
sayū suru
|
Rentaikei ("attributive")
|
左右する
|
さゆうする
|
sayū suru
|
Kateikei ("hypothetical")
|
左右すれ
|
さゆうすれ
|
sayū sure
|
Meireikei ("imperative")
|
左右せよ¹ 左右しろ²
|
さゆうせよ¹ さゆうしろ²
|
sayū seyo¹ sayū shiro²
|
Key constructions
|
Passive
|
左右される
|
さゆうされる
|
sayū sareru
|
Causative
|
左右させる 左右さす
|
さゆうさせる さゆうさす
|
sayū saseru sayū sasu
|
Potential
|
左右できる
|
さゆうできる
|
sayū dekiru
|
Volitional
|
左右しよう
|
さゆうしよう
|
sayū shiyō
|
Negative
|
左右しない
|
さゆうしない
|
sayū shinai
|
Negative continuative
|
左右せず
|
さゆうせず
|
sayū sezu
|
Formal
|
左右します
|
さゆうします
|
sayū shimasu
|
Perfective
|
左右した
|
さゆうした
|
sayū shita
|
Conjunctive
|
左右して
|
さゆうして
|
sayū shite
|
Hypothetical conditional
|
左右すれば
|
さゆうすれば
|
sayū sureba
|
¹ Written imperative
² Spoken imperative
|
Etymology 2
Noun
左右 • (sō) ←さう (sau)?
- (obsolete) left and right
- letter; tidings
- Synonym: 便り (tayori)
-
初七日 七日コロハサウガアリマセウ- shonanoka nanoka koro wa sō ga arimashō
- 7th: There will probably be tidings on the 7th.
初七日 초(初)일엣날ᄶᅳᆷ 긔별(寄別)이 잇ᄉᆞ오리 (original Korean)
-
又 マタヨイ左右ガキソウニゴザル- mata mata yoi sō ga kisō ni gozaru
- Again: It seems like good tidings may come again.
又 ᄯᅩ 됴흔 긔별(寄別)이 올 듯허오 (original Korean)
Etymology 3
Noun
左右 • (sau)
- (obsolete) left and right
Etymology 4
For pronunciation and definitions of 左右 – see the following entry.
|
|
(This term, 左右, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)
|
References
Korean
Noun
左右 • (jwau) (hangeul 좌우)
- hanja form? of 좌우 (“left and right”)
Vietnamese
Noun
左右
- chữ Hán form of tả hữu (“left and right”).