右边(yòu biān) - the right, the right-hand side in Mandarin

右边 (yòu biān) is the right-hand side. It pairs with 左边 for the left, and it joins the family of position nouns that also includes 前面, 后面, 上面 and 旁边.

The reference point comes first: 邮局的右边 is to the right of the post office, 我右边 is on my right. The 的 is often dropped after a pronoun, so 我右边 and 我的右边 are both fine, with the shorter one sounding more everyday.

The trap is grammatical. 右边 is a noun, not an adjective or an adverb, so it cannot behave like English "right" in "turn right" or "the right hand". Directions take a preposition: 往右边拐 or 向右拐 for turn right. And for the body part you want 右手, using bare 右 as a prefix rather than 右边. Say 他坐在我右边 for where someone sits, and save 右 on its own for compounds.