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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Left: Meanings, Examples, and Common Usage (3 meaning)

Meaning 1：left side (left)

left 🔊

/left/

adj., n., v.

The side of your body where your heart is, when you are facing forward.

Person pointing left hand to left path at crossroads

left side 🔊

➕

/left saɪd/

adj., n., v.

The side of your body where your heart is when you face forward; the opposite of right.

📁 Category：Buildings & Places 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Old English 'lyft' (weak, foolish) supplanted 'winster' as word for left side.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'left' as 'lift' - your left hand lifts the book.

📖 Example

In my new classroom, I sit on the left side by the window. 🔊 In my new classroom, I sit on the left side by the window.

🔗 Collocations

left hand – the hand on the left side of the body

left turn – a turn toward the left direction

left field – the left part of a baseball outfield

🔄 Synonyms

left-hand (adj.) – relating to or located on the left side

port (n.) – the left side of a ship or aircraft

sinister (adj.) – archaic term for left, now meaning threatening

🚫 Antonyms

right (adj.) – the opposite side of left

starboard (n.) – the right side of a ship or aircraft

dexter (adj.) – heraldic term for right side

🌱 Derivatives

left-handed (adj.) – using the left hand more skillfully than the right

leftist (n.) – a person with left-wing political views

leftwards (adv.) – toward the left direction

📖 Cultural Story

In ancient Rome, left side was considered unlucky (sinister). The word 'left' replaced earlier 'winster' and originally meant 'weak' in Old English, reflecting bias against left-handedness.

Meaning 2：departed (left)

left 🔊

/left/

adj., n., v.

The past form of ‘leave’, meaning someone has gone away from a place.

Empty living room with front door slightly ajar

departed 🔊

➕

/dɪˈpɑːrtɪd/

adj., n., v.

The past tense of 'leave', meaning someone went away from a place or person.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

My friend left the library an hour ago to go to the gym. 🔊 My friend left the library an hour ago to go to the gym.

🔗 Collocations

left home – departed from one's house

left work – finished working and went away

left school – graduated or quit school

🔄 Synonyms

departed (v.) – went away from a place

withdrew (v.) – pulled back or left a position

abandoned (v.) – left completely and permanently

🚫 Antonyms

arrived (v.) – reached a destination

came (v.) – moved toward the speaker or place

remained (v.) – stayed in the same place

🌱 Derivatives

leaves (v.) – third person singular present of leave

leaving (v.) – present participle of leave

Meaning 3：left behind (left)

left 🔊

/left/

adj., n., v.

Also the past form of ‘leave’, but here it means something or someone was not taken away and stayed behind.

Sunglasses left on wooden cafe table with drink

left behind 🔊

➕

/left bɪˈhaɪnd/

adj., n., v.

The past tense of 'leave' used when something or someone was not taken and stayed behind unintentionally.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

Oh no, I left my phone on the restaurant table! 🔊 Oh no, I left my phone on the restaurant table!

🔗 Collocations

left behind – forgotten or abandoned in a place

left at home – not brought when going out

left on the table – placed and not taken away

🔄 Synonyms

forgotten (v.) – not remembered to bring along

abandoned (v.) – left behind purposely or accidentally

mislaid (v.) – put somewhere and then forgot where

🚫 Antonyms

kept (v.) – retained possession of something

brought (v.) – carried along to a place

retrieved (v.) – got back something left behind

🌱 Derivatives

leftover (n./adj.) – something remaining after the rest is used or gone