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左利き (ひだりきき) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

左ひだり利きき

ひ

だ

り

き

き

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

left-handedness; left-handed person; left-hander

Refers either to the trait of using the left hand dominantly or to a person who is left-handed. Also used before の, as in 左利きの人.

See also: 右利き

彼かの女じょは左ひだり利ききなので、左ひだり手てで字じを書かく。
She is left-handed, so she writes with her left hand.

左ひだり利ききの子こども用ようのはさみを買かった。

I bought scissors for a left-handed child.

2

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

fondness for alcohol; drinker; person fond of alcohol

Idiomatic use meaning someone who likes alcohol; less straightforward for learners than the literal 'left-handed' sense and close to 左党.

See also: 左党

彼かれはかなりの左ひだり利ききで、一いっ升しょう瓶びんをすぐ空あけてしまう。
He is quite a drinker and can empty a large bottle of sake in no time.

Written forms

左ひだり利ききUsage84%
Standard and common spelling for both the literal meaning 'left-handed' and the idiomatic alcohol-related meaning.
左ひだりききUsage15%
search-only kanji form
Attested search-only mixed spelling; use 左利き in normal writing.
ひだりききUsage1%

Kanji

左left
利profit, advantage, benefit

Similar words

右みぎ利きき
The opposite of the literal sense: right-handedness or a right-handed person.
左さ党とう
Means a person who likes alcohol; more directly tied to the drinking sense, while 左利き is primarily understood as 'left-handed.'
サウスポー
A loanword meaning 'southpaw' or left-hander, especially in sports contexts; 左利き is the general everyday term.

Etymology

A compound of 左, 'left,' and 利き, related to the idea of a hand or side that works well or is dominant. The alcohol-related idiomatic sense is conventional; its exact historical motivation is uncertain.