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?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.