Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Right: Refers to the right side or direction, opposite of left ("tả"). This is its primary and most concrete meaning.
   • Right-wing: In political contexts, describes conservative, reactionary, or non-revolutionary factions, opposite of left-wing ("tả").

2. Bound Morpheme (Prefix):

   • Having / Possessing: When used as a prefix in compound words, it means "having" or "possessing" a certain quality. It is not used as an independent word in this sense.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Right side):

  • Cánh tay hữu của anh ấy bị thương. (His right arm is injured.)
  • Rẽ phía tay hữu. (Turn to the right side.)

• Adjective (Political):

  • Đảng đó có khuynh hướng hữu. (That party has a right-wing tendency.)
  • Chính sách của phe hữu. (The policy of the right wing.)

• Bound Morpheme (Prefix):

  • Công việc này rất hữu ích. (This work is very useful.) [From "hữu" (having) + "ích" (benefit)].
  • Tài nguyên có hạn. (Resources are limited.) [From "hữu" (having) + "hạn" (limit)].

Advanced Usage

• The word "hữu" is classical and formal. In modern everyday speech for "right side," "phải" is more common.
• In political discourse, "hữu" and "tả" are standard terms for "right" and "left."

Variants and Related Words

• Hữu khuynh (adj): Rightist; having right-wing tendencies.
• Hữu ngạn (n): Right bank (of a river).
• Hữu hình (adj): Tangible, physical. [From "hữu" (having) + "hình" (form)].
• Hữu cơ (adj): Organic. [From "hữu" (having) + "cơ" (mechanism/organism)].

Synonyms

• Phải: Right (side/direction) – more common in daily speech.
• Bảo thủ: Conservative – a synonym in political contexts.

Related Idioms

• Thiên tả thiên hữu: To lean to the left or the right; to be biased towards one political side or another.
• Tả hữu phùng nguyên: (Classical) To have support from all sides; literally, to meet the source on left and right.

adj

1. right