What is LEFT called in Spanish?

In Spanish Google Sheets it is IZQUIERDA. The formula =LEFT(A2,3) is written =IZQUIERDA(A2;3) (or with commas under a Mexico locale).

Why does LEFT use semicolons in some spreadsheets?

It depends on each spreadsheet's locale, under File > Settings. Where the comma is the decimal mark (Spain, much of South America), arguments are separated by semicolons. Mexico and United States locales use commas.

Google Sheets LEFT function

Returns the first characters of a text. In Spanish Sheets it is called IZQUIERDA.

Syntax

English Sheets

=LEFT(string, [number_of_characters])

Spanish Sheets (Mexico locale)

=IZQUIERDA(cadena, [número_de_caracteres])

Spanish Sheets (Spain, Latin America)

=IZQUIERDA(cadena; [número_de_caracteres])

Argument	What it is
string	The text or cell.
number_of_charactersoptional	How many characters to take; 1 by default.

Example

LEFT(text, n) takes the first n characters and RIGHT(text, n) the last ones. They split codes whose parts have a fixed length.

=LEFT(A2,3)

Common mistake

The result is always text: LEFT("2026-01",4) gives "2026", not the number 2026.

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Practice LEFT

Type the formula in the sheet and check it instantly. Spanish or English function names both work. See all lessons

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My spreadsheet is inGoogle Sheets functions in English and Spanish

LEFT and RIGHT

LEFT(text, n) takes the first n characters and RIGHT(text, n) the last ones. They split codes whose parts have a fixed length.

Example=LEFT(A2,3)IZQUIERDA = LEFT DERECHA = RIGHT

Step 1/2

In B2, extract the 3-letter state code at the start of the reference.

	A	B	C
1	Reference	State	Number
2	JAL-2026-0457
3	CDM-2026-1203
4	NLE-2026-0089
5	YUC-2026-0731
6	PUE-2026-0015
7

Tip: while typing, click a cell or drag across several to insert their reference.

Frequently asked questions

What is LEFT called in Spanish?: In Spanish Google Sheets it is IZQUIERDA. The formula =LEFT(A2,3) is written =IZQUIERDA(A2;3) (or with commas under a Mexico locale).
Why does LEFT use semicolons in some spreadsheets?: It depends on each spreadsheet's locale, under File > Settings. Where the comma is the decimal mark (Spain, much of South America), arguments are separated by semicolons. Mexico and United States locales use commas.
What is the most common LEFT mistake?: The result is always text: LEFT("2026-01",4) gives "2026", not the number 2026.