Wednesday, 21 December 2011

Left

Reading: SA, hidari

Strokes: 5

Etymology: Left hand + work upon.  This character has connotations of support / auxiliary.  Thus, the original meaning was assist someone at work.

In time this came to mean only left hand, with 工 becoming redundant.


Hint: Take 工 to mean carpenter's square.

Mnemonic: LEFT HAND STEADIES CARPENTER'S SQUARE.

Combinations:

左折 (sasetsu) turn left
左側 (hidarigawa) left side

(Based upon Henshall, 1998)

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