Excel Function

LEFT

Returns leftmost characters from text.

LEFT(text, [num_chars])

Arguments

text

Required

Enter a text value (wrap with quotes when needed).

num_chars

Optional

Enter a numeric value.

Practice Preview

Use LEFT to return the result with these settings (Text: B2 (cell B2 (Name in column B)), Number of characters: 3).

Example Table

#	AEmployee ID	BName	CEmail	DPayment Amount	EAmount Text
2	E001	Taro Tanaka	t.tanaka@example.com	1200	1200
3	E002	Hanako Suzuki	h.suzuki@example.com	980	980
4	E003	Ken Sato	k.sato@example.com	2450	2450
5	E004	Aya Takahashi	a.takahashi@example.com	3000	3000
6
7
8

How to Use (Formula)

=LEFT(B2, 3)

Result

Tar

Practice This Function

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LEFT FAQ

How do I use LEFT in Excel?

Use LEFT when you want to extract characters from the left side of text. Enter Text, Number of characters in that order, then add optional arguments when needed.

Where can I practice LEFT?

Use the "Start Function Practice" button to jump straight into LEFT drills.

What arguments does LEFT use?

The main arguments are Text, Number of characters. Start with the required ones, then add optional arguments if needed.