# HSK 2 Locality Nouns: 左 (zuǒ) and 右 (yòu) Grammar Guide | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-2-nouns-52ec1e8ae3 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-2-nouns-52ec1e8ae3 HSK levels: 2 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:55:37.344Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how to use the monosyllabic locality nouns 左 (left) and 右 (right) in Mandarin Chinese, including fixed compounds, directional phrases, and when to use 左边 and 右边. Grammar [HSK 2 · Word classes › Nouns › Locality nouns](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-2#hsk-2-g002) # HSK 2 Locality Nouns: 左 (zuǒ) and 右 (yòu) In the HSK 2 syllabus outline, 左 (zuǒ, left) and 右 (yòu, right) are classified as monosyllabic locality nouns (方位名词). Unlike ordinary nouns, single-syllable 左 and 右 do not usually stand alone as the object of 在 (zài) or follow 的 (de); instead, they attach directly to paired nouns or follow directional prepositions like 往 (wǎng) and 向 (xiàng). 左 / 右 paired body-part or side noun Example sentence 弟弟用左手写字。 dìdi yòng zuǒshǒu xiězì. My younger brother writes with his left hand. 左 attaches directly to 手 (shǒu, hand) to form 左手 (zuǒshǒu, left hand). A common mistake × 书店在银行的右。 shūdiàn zài yínháng de yòu. Intended: The bookstore is to the right of the bank. For this ordinary location sentence, use 银行的右边 (or 银行右边). Bare 右 after 的 is not the natural conversational form here. This is a recommendation for the pattern, not a claim that bare 左/右 never occur in compact written expressions. Corrected example: 书店在银行的右边。 **Read the full explanation and examples** ## What 左 and 右 Do as Locality Nouns In the user-supplied HSK 2 grammar outline, 左 (zuǒ, left) and 右 (yòu, right) are listed under the word class of nouns (名词) as locality nouns (方位名词). In Mandarin grammar, locality words are divided into monosyllabic (single-syllable) and disyllabic (two-syllable) forms. Recognizing that bare 左 and 右 are monosyllabic locality nouns is essential because modern spoken Mandarin restricts where single-syllable position words can appear. English speakers use the words "left" and "right" flexibly as adjectives, nouns, and adverbs. In Mandarin, single-character 左 and 右 have a much tighter distribution. You will primarily use them in two high-frequency environments: directly before certain one-syllable nouns (especially paired body parts) and immediately after directional prepositions such as 往 (wǎng, toward) or 向 (xiàng, toward). ## Pattern 1: Direct Modification of Paired Nouns When specifying the left or right member of a natural pair—most commonly body parts like hands, feet, eyes, or ears, as well as sides or wings of a building—左 and 右 attach directly to the noun. Together they form a tight two-syllable word or phrase. 左 / 右 paired body-part or side noun 弟弟用左手写字。 dìdi yòng zuǒshǒu xiězì. My younger brother writes with his left hand. 左 attaches directly to 手 (shǒu, hand) to form 左手 (zuǒshǒu, left hand). 我的右眼有一点儿不舒服。 wǒ de yòuyǎn yǒu yīdiǎnr bù shūfu. My right eye feels a little uncomfortable. 右 attaches directly to the single-syllable body-part noun 眼 (yǎn, eye). Do not insert the structural particle 的 (de) between single-character 左 or 右 and the noun it modifies. Because bare 左 and 右 are bound to this direct-attachment pattern in modern usage, treating them like ordinary descriptive adjectives with 的 sounds unnatural. × 他用左的手拿杯子。 tā yòng zuǒ de shǒu ná bēizi. Intended: He holds the cup with his left hand. For “left hand”, use the compound 左手, without 的. 左边的手 describes a hand on the left side in a suitable spatial contrast. Corrected example: 他用左手拿杯子。 他用左手拿杯子。 tā yòng zuǒshǒu ná bēizi. He holds the cup with his left hand. 左手 is the conventional compound for “left hand”. ## Pattern 2: Giving Directions with 往 and 向 The second major role of bare 左 and 右 is to serve as the object of the directional prepositions 往 (wǎng) and 向 (xiàng). This compact structure is the standard way to tell someone which way to walk, turn, or look. 往 / 向 左 / 右 action or motion verb 请先往左看，再往右看。 Qǐng xiān wǎng zuǒ kàn, zài wǎng yòu kàn. Please look left first, then look right. Bare 左 and 右 follow the directional preposition 往 (wǎng) before the single-syllable verb 看 (kàn). 请你向右走五十米。 qǐng nǐ xiàng yòu zǒu wǔshí mǐ. Please walk fifty meters to the right. Bare 右 serves as the object of the directional preposition 向 (xiàng). Rhythm note: After 往 (wǎng) and 向 (xiàng), both bare 左 / 右 and two-syllable 左边 / 右边 are grammatical. However, when the following verb is a single syllable like 看 (kàn, look), 走 (zǒu, walk), or 拐 (guǎi, turn), speakers strongly favour bare 左 and 右 because the three-syllable rhythm (往左看, 向右走) is crisp and natural. ## Key Contrast and Limits: Bare 左 / 右 vs. 左边 / 右边 The most important boundary for learners is knowing where bare 左 and 右 cannot stand alone. Unlike the monosyllabic locality nouns 上 (shàng, on), 下 (xià, under), and 里 (lǐ, inside)—which attach directly to the end of general nouns (as in 桌子上 zhuōzi shàng, on the table)—bare 左 and 右 do not attach directly to the end of everyday nouns to mean "to the left/right of something." Nor can bare 左 and 右 stand alone as the location object after 在 (zài) or after a reference noun + 的 (de). reference person or place （的） 左边 / 右边 - To express an independent location ("on the left/right" or "to the left/right of X"), use the disyllabic forms 左边 (zuǒbian) or 右边 (yòubian). - To modify an ordinary object that is not a natural pair (such as "the cup on the left"), use 左边的 (zuǒbian de) + noun, not bare 左 + noun. - Keep bare 左 and 右 in your active toolkit for paired body-part compounds (左手, 右脚, 左眼, 右耳), directional commands (往左, 向右), and fixed four-character or two-character expressions. × 书店在银行的右。 shūdiàn zài yínháng de yòu. Intended: The bookstore is to the right of the bank. For this ordinary location sentence, use 银行的右边 (or 银行右边). Bare 右 after 的 is not the natural conversational form here. This is a recommendation for the pattern, not a claim that bare 左/右 never occur in compact written expressions. Corrected example: 书店在银行的右边。 书店在银行的右边。 shūdiàn zài yínháng de yòubian. The bookstore is to the right of the bank. 右边 is the natural full locality form after the reference bank in this sentence. ## Frequently asked questions **Can I attach bare 左 or 右 directly after a noun like 桌子左 (on the left of the table) the way I say 桌子上 (on the table)?** No. While 上 (shàng), 下 (xià), and 里 (lǐ) frequently attach directly to the end of common nouns, bare 左 and 右 do not work this way in everyday Mandarin. Always say 桌子左边 (zhuōzi zuǒbian) or 桌子的左边 (zhuōzi de zuǒbian). **What does it mean when 左 and 右 are combined into 左右 (zuǒyòu)?** When combined into the compound word 左右 (zuǒyòu), it most commonly follows a number or quantity expression to mean "approximately" or "around" (for example, 三点左右, around three o'clock). Keep that compound word distinct from the single-syllable directional uses of 左 and 右 taught in this lesson. **Does this HSK 2 grammar label apply to every test centre today?** The HSK 2 classification for 方位名词：左、右 comes from the 2025-11 revised HSK syllabus outline (marked for 2026-07 implementation). Because test centres and platforms transition on specific schedules, always verify which syllabus edition applies to your booked exam. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 389](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=389) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. 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