على إيدك الشمال

Use it whenever you are giving directions to someone. You can use it for things close by or far away. "The salt is on your left." "The big mosque is on your left." It’s very flexible and works in almost any dialect. Just point and say the phrase. It makes you sound like a local immediately. It’s much more natural than just saying "left."

Use it when someone asks for the way. It’s perfect for taxi drivers or delivery people. Use it at home when someone can't find the remote. It works at the office for locating meeting rooms. It’s great for texting a friend your location. "I'm at the table on your left!" It’s the bread and butter of daily navigation.

Don't use it for political "left" or "right." That requires different, more formal vocabulary. Avoid using it in extremely formal written documents. In a legal contract, you’d use جهة اليسار. Don't use it if you are actually turning. For turning, you say حود شمال or لف شمال. This phrase is for things already positioned there. It’s a location, not a movement.

In the Arab world, the right hand is considered "special." We use it for eating, greeting, and giving gifts. However, for directions, the left hand is just a direction. There is no "taboo" in saying something is on the left. It’s a practical, body-centric way of seeing the world. Using "your hand" makes the direction feel more personal. It connects the space directly to the person you are talking to.

You might hear على شمالك which is slightly shorter. In formal settings, people say على يسارك. Some might say ناحية الشمال meaning "towards the left." In some regions, they might just say عالـ شمال. But على إيدك الشمال is the most "human" version. It’s the one you’ll hear most in Egypt and the Levant. It feels like a friend guiding you by the shoulder.