左边右边 Left and Right in Chinese

我wǒ找不到zhǎo bu dào我wǒ的de手机shǒujī了le。

I can't find my phone.

妈妈māma问wèn我wǒ：“你nǐ在zài哪儿nǎr看见kànjiàn的de？”

Mom asked me, "Where did you see it?"

我wǒ说shuō：“我wǒ记得jìde放fàng在zài桌子zhuōzi上shàng了le。”

I said, "I remember I put it on the table."

妈妈māma说shuō：“桌子zhuōzi左边zuǒbiān没有méiyǒu，你nǐ看看kànkan右边yòubiān。”

Mom said, "It's not on the left side of the table — look on the right side."

我wǒ看kàn了le右边yòubiān，也yě没有méiyǒu找到zhǎodào。

I looked on the right side too, but still didn't find it.

后来hòulái，我wǒ在zài沙发shāfā下面xiàmiàn找到zhǎodào了le手机shǒujī。

Later, I found the phone under the sofa.

妈妈māma笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“下次xiàcì要yào放fàng好hǎo，别bié乱luàn放fàng。”

Mom smiled and said, "Next time put it away properly — don't just put it anywhere."

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

找不到zhǎo bu dàocannot find

左边zuǒbiānleft side

右边yòubiānright side

记得jìdeto remember

下面xiàmiànunder; below

找到zhǎodàoto find

找不到 — cannot find (V + 不到 = unable to reach a result)

不到 after a verb shows the action fails to reach its goal.

我找不到我的手机了。 — I can't find my phone.

左边 / 右边 + 有/没有 — describing location

左边 and 右边 mark position, often used with 有/没有 to say what's there.

桌子左边没有，你看看右边。 — It's not on the left side — look on the right.

在 + place + 下面 — under a place

在 + noun + 下面 tells you exactly where something is.

我在沙发下面找到了手机。 — I found the phone under the sofa.

1. What did the writer lose?

2. Where did the writer first think they put the phone?

3. Where was the phone finally found?