Skip to content
xlsoffice. All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Excel For Beginners
  • Excel Intermediate
  • Advanced Excel For Experts

Lookup and Reference Examples

  • How to use Excel FORMULATEXT function
  • How to create dynamic named range with OFFSET in Excel
  • Extract all partial matches in Excel
  • How to get last column number in range in Excel
  • Last row number in range

Data Analysis Examples

  • How To Create Frequency Distribution in Excel
  • Understanding Pivot Tables in Excel
  • How to calculate correlation coefficient Correlation in Excel
  • Get column name from index in Excel Table
  • Conditional Formatting New Rule with Formulas in Excel

Data Validation Examples

  • How To Create Drop-down List in Excel
  • Excel Data validation don’t exceed total
  • Excel Data validation exists in list
  • Excel Data validation unique values only
  • Excel Data validation allow weekday only

LEFT, LEFTB functions: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation

by

What are LEFT, LEFTB functions in Excel?

LEFT, LEFTB functions are  TEXT functions in Microsoft Excel.

LEFT returns the first character or characters in a text string, based on the number of characters you specify.

While, LEFTB returns the first character or characters in a text string, based on the number of bytes you specify.

Important:

  • These functions may not be available in all languages.
  • LEFTB counts 2 bytes per character only when a DBCS language is set as the default language. Otherwise LEFTB behaves the same as LEFT, counting 1 byte per character.

The languages that support DBCS include Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), and Korean.

Worked Example:   Split dimensions into three parts in Excel

Syntax of LEFT, LEFTB functions

LEFT(text, [num_chars])

LEFTB(text, [num_bytes])

The function syntax has the following arguments:

  • Text:  The text string that contains the characters you want to extract.
  • Num_chars(Optional): Specifies the number of characters you want LEFT to extract.
    • Num_chars must be greater than or equal to zero.
    • If num_chars is greater than the length of text, LEFT returns all of text.
    • If num_chars is omitted, it is assumed to be 1.
  • Num_bytes(Optional) Specifies the number of characters you want LEFTB to extract, based on bytes.
Worked Example:   How to extract name from email address in Excel

Example of LEFT, LEFTB functions

Example 1: LEFT

Steps to follow:

1. Open a new Excel worksheet.

2. Copy data in the following table below and paste it in cell A1

Note: For formulas to show results, select them, press F2 key on your keyboard and then press Enter.

You can adjust the column widths to see all the data, if need be.

Data
Sale Price
Sweden
Formula Description Result
=LEFT(A2,4) First four characters in the first string Sale
=LEFT(A3) First character in the second string S
Worked Example:   Convert text to numbers using VALUE function in Excel

Example 2: LEFTB

Note: First set to your computer to a default language that supports DBCS

Steps to follow:

1. Open a new Excel worksheet.

2. Copy data in the following table below and paste it in cell A1

Note: For formulas to show results, select them, press F2 key on your keyboard and then press Enter.You can adjust the column widths to see all the data, if need be.

Data
Sale Price
Sweden
Formula Description Result
=LEFT(A2,4) First four characters in the first string Sale
=LEFT(A3) First character in the second string S

Post navigation

Previous Post:

LEN, LENB functions: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation

Next Post:

FIXED function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Learn Basic Excel

Ribbon
Workbook
Worksheets
Format Cells
Find & Select
Sort & Filter
Templates
Print
Share
Protect
Keyboard Shortcuts

Categories

  • Charts
  • Data Analysis
  • Data Validation
  • Excel Functions
    • Cube Functions
    • Database Functions
    • Date and Time Functions
    • Engineering Functions
    • Financial Functions
    • Information Functions
    • Logical Functions
    • Lookup and Reference Functions
    • Math and Trig Functions
    • Statistical Functions
    • Text Functions
    • Web Functions
  • Excel VBA
  • Excel Video Tutorials
  • Formatting
  • Grouping
  • Others
  • How to add a line break with a formula while joining text strings in Excel
  • Split dimensions into three parts in Excel
  • How to use double quotes inside a formula in Excel
  • Join first and last name — Manipulating NAMES in Excel
  • RIGHT, RIGHTB functions: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • Add decimal minutes to time in Excel
  • How to calculate working days left in month in Excel
  • Check If Two Dates are same month in Excel
  • Get days between dates ignoring years in Excel
  • TODAY function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • COUPNUM function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • Calculate interest for given period in Excel
  • Calculate original loan amount in Excel
  • How to Calculate Tax Rates in Excel
  • COUPPCD function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
Acronyms, Abbreviations, Initialism & What They Stand For
© 2021 xlsoffice. All Rights Reserved | Teal Smiles