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right

yòu
5 strokes · 𠂇 (hand) + 口 (mouth) — the hand that brings food to the mouth · HSK 2

Where 右 comes from

右 is a right hand paired with a mouth: the hand most people eat with. Its older form was the ancestor of 又 'again' — the busy right hand that does everything, again and again.

右 in Chinese culture

尊右 'honoring the right' dominated later dynasties: 无出其右 'no one stands to his right' still means 'second to none'. Traffic in China keeps right too — 靠右行驶 is one of the first signs you'll see on the highway.

Example

右边 yòubian — right side

银行在右边。
Yínháng zài yòubian.
The bank is on the right.

How to remember it

The hand 𠂇 that feeds your mouth 口 — for most people, the RIGHT one.

座右铭 'motto' literally means 'inscription to the right of your seat' — ancient scholars carved reminders where the writing hand could always see them.

Same sound, different tones

1st yōu
excellent
2nd yóu
to swim
3rd yǒu
to have
4th yòu
right

Words unlocked by 右

右边 yòubian
right side
左右 zuǒyòu
around, roughly
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