(xiàng zuǒ guǎi) - turn left in Mandarin
xiàngzuǒguǎiTraditional: 向左拐
Translation
turn left
Stroke order
向
左
拐
Examples
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Turn left at the junction, the supermarket will be on your left.
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Please turn left at the bank.
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Go straight on, and turn left when you see the park.
，。
After you turn left, keep going straight and you'll arrive.
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Don't turn right, you should turn left.
向左拐 (xiàng zuǒ guǎi) means turn left, the mirror image of 向右拐 (xiàng yòu guǎi, turn right). 向 (xiàng, towards) points the verb 拐 (guǎi, to turn) at 左 (zuǒ, left).
As with 向右拐, the version with 往 (wǎng, towards) instead of 向 (xiàng) is just as common: 往左拐 (wǎng zuǒ guǎi) means exactly the same thing, and you will hear both.
向左拐 (xiàng zuǒ guǎi) usually appears chained after other direction phrases in real speech, such as 一直走，然后向左拐 (yìzhí zǒu, ránhòu xiàng zuǒ guǎi), "go straight on, then turn left", so it is worth practising as part of a fuller set of directions rather than as an isolated phrase.
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向左拐: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "向左拐" (turn left): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 109.