Usage of the character 左

Zuo Zhuan or Tsochuan, Mr Zuo's Annals or Mr Zuo's commentary on 春秋 ( Chūnqiū), early history c. 400 BC attributed to famous blind historian Zuo Qiuming 左丘明 ( Zuǒ Qiūmíng)

báizuǒ

白左

[白左]

naive, self-righteous Western liberals (neologism c. 2015)

zuǒyòu

左右

[左右]

left and right
nearby
approximately
attendant
to control
to influence

zuǒquàn

左券

[左券]

a sure thing
a certainty
copy of a contract held by a creditor

zuǒjìn

左近

[左近]

nearby

zuǒshǒu

左手

[左手]

left hand; left-hand side

zuǒcè

左侧

[左側]

left side

zuǒshàng

左上

[左上]

upper left

zuǒpài

左派

[左派]

(political) left
left wing
leftist

Zuǒyíng

左营

[左營]

Zuoying or Tsoying district of Kaohsiung city 高雄市 ( Gāoxióngshì), south Taiwan

Zuǒzhèn

左镇

[左鎮]

Tsochen township in Tainan county 台南縣／台南县 ( Táinánxiàn), Taiwan

zuǒzhuǎn

左转

[左轉]

to turn left

Zuǒ Lián

左联

[左聯]

the League of the Left-Wing Writers, an organization of writers formed in China in 1930
abbr. for 中國左翼作家聯盟／中国左翼作家联盟 ( Zhōngguó Zuǒyì Zuòjiā Liánméng)

Zuǒgòng

左贡

[左貢]

Zogang county, Tibetan: Mdzo sgang rdzong, in Chamdo prefecture 昌都地區／昌都地区 ( Chāngdūdìqū), Tibet

zuǒqīng

左倾

[左傾]

left-leaning
progressive

xiāngzuǒ

相左

[相左]

to fail to meet each other
to conflict with each other
to be at odds with

Zuǒ Sī

左思

[左思]

Zuo Si (3rd century), Jin dynasty writer and poet

zuǒmiàn

左面

[左面]

left side

zuǒxián

左舷

[左舷]

port (side of a ship)

zuǒshǒu

左首

[左首]

left-hand side

línzuǒ

邻左

[鄰左]

neighbor

Zuǒ Qiūmíng

左丘明

[左丘明]

Zuo Qiuming or Zuoqiu Ming (556-451), famous blind historian from Lu 魯國／鲁国 ( Lǔguó) to whom the history Zuo Zhuan 左傳／左传 ( Zuǒ Zhuàn) is attributed

Zuǒquánxiàn

左权县

[左權縣]

Zuoquan county in Jinzhong 晉中／晋中 ( Jìnzhōng), Shanxi

zuǒzìtóu

左字头

[左字頭]

"top of 左 character" component in Chinese characters

Zuǒ Zōngtáng

左宗棠

[左宗棠]

Zuo Zongtang (1812-1885), Chinese administrator and military leader

Zuǒgòngxiàn

左贡县

[左貢縣]

Zogang county, Tibetan: Mdzo sgang rdzong, in Chamdo prefecture 昌都地區／昌都地区 ( Chāngdūdìqū), Tibet

Zuǒyúnxiàn

左云县

[左雲縣]

Zuoyun county in Datong 大同 ( Dàtóng), Shanxi

zuǒyòushǒu

左右手

[左右手]

left and right hands
(fig.) capable assistant
right-hand man

zuǒbuguò

左不过

[左不過]

anyhow
in any event
just
only

zuǒzhìyòu

左至右

[左至右]

left-to-right

Bālínzuǒ

巴林左

[巴林左]

Bairin Left banner of Baarin Züün khoshuu in Chifeng 赤峰 ( Chìfēng), Inner Mongolia

zuǒyòutǎn

左右袒

[左右袒]

to take sides with
to be partial to
to be biased
to favor one side

Zuǒyíngqū

左营区

[左營區]

Zuoying or Tsoying district of Kaohsiung city 高雄市 ( Gāoxióngshì), south Taiwan

xiàngzuǒguǎi

向左拐

[向左拐]

to turn left

zuǒjiàntóu

左箭头

[左箭頭]

left-pointing arrow

Chóngzuǒshì

崇左市

[崇左市]

Chongzuo prefecture-level city in Guangxi

zuǒkǒuyú

左口鱼

[左口魚]

flounder

zuǒsǎngzi

左嗓子

[左嗓子]

off-key singing voice
sb who sings off-key

zuǒqiánwèi

左前卫

[左前衛]

left forward (soccer position)

zuǒduìqí

左对齐

[左對齊]

to left justify (typography)

zuǒpiězi

左撇子

[左撇子]

left-hander

zuǒbianr

左边儿

[左邊兒]

erhua variant of 左邊／左边 (zuǒbian)

zuǒyòuliǎngnán

左右两难

[左右兩難]

(idiom) between a rock and a hard place
in a dilemma

zuǒsīyòuxiǎng

左思右想

[左思右想]

to turn over in one's mind (idiom); to think through from different angles
to ponder

nánzuǒnüyòu

男左女右

[男左女右]

the left is for males, the right is for females (traditional saying)

zuǒyòugōuquán

左右勾拳

[左右勾拳]

left hook and right hook (boxing)
the old one-two

zuǒyòugònglì

左右共利

[左右共利]

ambidextrous

zuǒquànzàiwò

左券在握

[左券在握]

to be assured of success (idiom)

Zuǒshì Chūnqiū

左氏春秋

[左氏春秋]

Mr Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals, attributed to famous blind historian Zuo Qiuming 左丘明 ( Zuǒ Qiūmíng)
usually called Zuo Zhuan 左傳／左传 ( Zuǒ Zhuàn)

zuǒlínyòulǐ

左邻右里

[左鄰右里]

see 左鄰右舍／左邻右舍 (zuǒlínyòushè)

zuǒyòukāigōng

左右开弓

[左右開弓]

lit. to shoot from both sides (idiom)
fig. to display ambidexterity
to slap with one hand and then the other, in quick succession
to use both feet equally (football)

nìngzuǒwùyòu

宁左勿右

[寧左勿右]

(of one's political views) to prefer left rather than right (idiom during the Cultural Revolution)

zuǒlúnshǒuqiāng

左轮手枪

[左輪手槍]

revolver

zuǒwānyòuguǎi

左弯右拐

[左彎右拐]

to follow a winding path

zuǒgùyòupàn

左顾右盼

[左顧右盼]

glancing to left and right (idiom); to look all around

zuǒjiàntóujiàn

左箭头键

[左箭頭鍵]

left arrow key (on keyboard)

zuǒdàohuòzhòng

左道惑众

[左道惑眾]

to delude the masses with heretical doctrines (idiom)

Bālínzuǒqí

巴林左旗

[巴林左旗]

Bairin Left banner of Baarin Züün khoshuu in Chifeng 赤峰 ( Chìfēng), Inner Mongolia

zuǒyòuwéinán

左右为难

[左右為難]

(idiom) between a rock and a hard place
in a dilemma

zuǒlínyòushè

左邻右舍

[左鄰右舍]

neighbors
next-door neighbors
related work units
colleagues doing related work

zuǒyòuféngyuán

左右逢源

[左右逢源]

lit. to strike water right and left (idiom)
fig. to turn everything into gold
to have everything going one's way
to benefit from both sides

pángménzuǒdào

旁门左道

[旁門左道]

dissenting religious sect (idiom); heretical school of opinion
dissident group

zuǒbǎngyòubì

左膀右臂

[左膀右臂]

trusted assistant; key aide

Zuǒ Zōngtángjī

左宗棠鸡

[左宗棠雞]

General Tso's chicken, a deep-fried chicken dish

zuǒzhīyòuchù

左支右绌

[左支右絀]

to be in straitened circumstances

Sūnítèzuǒqí

苏尼特左旗

[蘇尼特左旗]

Sonid Left banner in Xilingol League 錫林郭勒盟／锡林郭勒盟 ( Xīlínguōlè Méng), Inner Mongolia

bùwèizuǒyòutǎn

不为左右袒

[不為左右袒]

to remain neutral in a quarrel (idiom)

Alāshàn Zuǒqí

阿拉善左旗

[阿拉善左旗]

Alxa Left Banner, Mongolian Alshaa Züün khoshuu, in Alxa League 阿拉善盟 ( Alāshàn Méng), Inner Mongolia (formerly in Gansu 1969-1979)

Chūnqiū Zuǒshì Zhuàn

春秋左氏传

[春秋左氏傳]

Mr Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals, attributed to famous blind historian Zuo Qiuming 左丘明 ( Zuǒ Qiūmíng)
usually called Zuo Zhuan 左傳／左传 ( Zuǒ Zhuàn)

Tǔmòtèzuǒqí

土默特左旗

[土默特左旗]

Tumed left banner, Mongolian Tümed züün khoshuu, in Hohhot 呼和浩特 ( Hūhéhàotè), Inner Mongolia

Xīnbā'ěrhǔzuǒqí

新巴尔虎左旗

[新巴爾虎左旗]

New Barag left banner in Hulunbuir 呼倫貝爾／呼伦贝尔 ( Hūlúnbèi'ěr), Inner Mongolia

Kē'ěrqìnzuǒyìzhōng

科尔沁左翼中

[科爾沁左翼中]

Horqin Left Middle banner or Khorchin Züün Garyn Dund khoshuu in Tongliao 通遼／通辽 ( Tōngliáo), Inner Mongolia

gùzuǒyòu'éryántā

顾左右而言他

[顧左右而言他]

(idiom) to digress from the topic of discussion

Kē'ěrqìnzuǒyìhòu

科尔沁左翼后

[科爾沁左翼後]

Horqin Left Rear banner or Khorchin Züün Garyn Xoit khoshuu in Tongliao 通遼／通辽 ( Tōngliáo), Inner Mongolia

zuǒqīngjīhuìzhǔyì

左倾机会主义

[左傾機會主義]

leftist opportunism

Eěrgǔnàzuǒqí

额尔古纳左旗

[額爾古納左旗]

former Ergun Left banner, now in Ergun, county-level city, Mongolian Ergüne xot, in Hulunbuir 呼倫貝爾／呼伦贝尔 ( Hūlúnbèi'ěr), Inner Mongolia

Kē'ěrqìnzuǒyìhòuqí

科尔沁左翼后旗

[科爾沁左翼後旗]

Horqin Left Rear banner or Khorchin Züün Garyn Xoit khoshuu in Tongliao 通遼／通辽 ( Tōngliáo), Inner Mongolia

zuǒ'ěrrù,yòu'ěrchū

左耳入，右耳出

[左耳入，右耳出]

in one ear and out the other

Kē'ěrqìnzuǒyìzhōngqí

科尔沁左翼中旗

[科爾沁左翼中旗]

Horqin Left Middle banner or Khorchin Züün Garyn Dund khoshuu in Tongliao 通遼／通辽 ( Tōngliáo), Inner Mongolia

Zhōngguó Zuǒyì Zuòjiā Liánméng

中国左翼作家联盟

[中國左翼作家聯盟]

the League of the Left-Wing Writers, an organization of writers formed in China in 1930

Kālǎqìn Zuǒyì Měnggǔzú Zìzhìxiàn

喀喇沁左翼蒙古族自治县

[喀喇沁左翼蒙古族自治縣]

Harqin Left Mongol autonomous county in Chaoyang 朝陽／朝阳 ( Cháoyáng), Liaoning