Excel Function Translator Logo
    The Excel Translator

    LEFT

    Text

    Returns the first (leftmost) characters from a text string.

    Translations
    EnglishLEFT
    FrenchGAUCHE
    SpanishIZQUIERDA
    GermanLINKS
    ItalianSINISTRA
    PortugueseESQUERDA
    DutchLINKS
    PolishLEWY
    RussianЛЕВСИМВ
    TurkishSOL
    CzechZLEVA
    HungarianBAL
    SwedishVÄNSTER
    DanishVENSTRE
    FinnishVASEN
    Syntax
    LEFT(text, [num_chars])

    Arguments

    • textThe text string
    • num_charsNumber of characters to extract (default 1)(optional)
    Examples
    =LEFT("Hello",2)
    He

    Returns first 2 characters

    =LEFT(A1,5)
    First 5 chars

    Extracts 5 characters from A1

    =LEFT(A1,FIND(" ",A1)-1)
    First word

    Gets text before first space

    Tips & Best Practices
    • •If num_chars is omitted, returns 1 character
    • •Returns the entire string if num_chars exceeds length
    • •Use with FIND or SEARCH for dynamic extraction
    Common Mistakes
    • •Forgetting that LEFT counts characters, not words - LEFT(A1,5) can cut a word right in half
    • •Using a fixed character count when the text length actually varies, chopping off part of some entries and leaving too much on others
    • •Applying LEFT to a number and being surprised the result is text, not a number you can calculate with
    Related Functions
    RIGHTPulls characters from the end of the text instead of the beginning
    MIDPulls characters from the middle, starting at any position you choose
    FINDLocates a character's position, often paired with LEFT to extract a variable-length substring
    Frequently Asked Questions

    How do I extract text up to a specific character, like a comma?

    Combine LEFT with FIND: =LEFT(A1,FIND(",",A1)-1) grabs everything before the first comma.

    Why does LEFT return a number as text?

    LEFT always returns text, even when the source is a number. Wrap it in VALUE() if you need to calculate with the result.

    Does LEFT work directly on numbers?

    Yes, Excel converts the number to text first, but formatting like currency symbols or thousand separators gets included in the result.

    Need to translate a formula using LEFT?

    Use our translator to convert your complete formula