右

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 右 (yòu) for "right" is composed of two parts: the radical ⺮ (yòu), which means "hand," and the phonetic component 右 (yòu), which is a simplified form of the character 又 (yòu), which means "again." The combination of these two components suggests the idea of "using the right hand again," which is how the character came to mean "right."The character 右 has been used in Chinese for over 3,000 years and has remained largely unchanged in its form and meaning. It is one of the most common characters in the Chinese language and is used in a wide variety of contexts, including to indicate direction, position, or correctness.In addition to its literal meaning, the character 右 can also be used figuratively to mean "superior" or "important." For example, the phrase 右派 (yòupài) means "right-wing," while the phrase 右手 (yòushǒu) means "right-hand man."The character 右 is also used in a number of Chinese idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 右倾 (yòuqīng) means "to lean to the right," while the proverb 右手画圆，左手画方 (yòushǒu huàyuán, zuǒshǒu huàfāng) means "to be able to do two things at once."Overall, the character 右 is a versatile and important character in the Chinese language with a rich history and a wide range of meanings and uses.