Chinese word

右

Pronunciation

Pinyinyòu

Meaning

  • adjectiveright

Example

她举起了右手。tā jú qǐ le yòu shǒu

She raised her right hand.

Illustration for 右 (right)

More examples

学生们站在队伍的右边。xué shēng men zhàn zài duì wǔ de yòu biān

The students are standing on the right side of the line.

Core concept

The side beside a person's right hand, or the direction that side points toward.

Common phrases

  • 右边yòu biān

    right side

  • 右手yòu shǒu

    right hand

Similar words

左zuǒ: Located on a person's or object's left side in relation to its facing direction.
前qián: Located ahead of a person or object in relation to its facing direction.

Definition in Chinese

表示与“左”相对的一侧，指人体或物体在面向方向的右边，也可作方位词表示朝右的方向。biǎo shì yǔ zuǒ xiāng duì de yí cè zhǐ rén tǐ huò wù tǐ zài miàn xiàng fāng xiàng de yòu biān yě kě zuò fāng wèi cí biǎo shì cháo yòu de fāng xiàng

Word origin

The character 右 (yòu, "right") is formed from 口 (kǒu, "mouth") + 又 (yòu, "hand"), reflecting an early association with the right hand before the word became a general direction.

Usage tips

  • For clear directions, the reference person should be named when two people face each other, because their corresponding sides can point in opposite directions.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word