left()

Returns first n characters in the string, or when n is negative, returns all but last |n| characters.

Signature

left ( string text, n integer ) → text

Examples

SELECT left('abcde', 2);

ab

Run against PostgreSQL 18.6 on 2026-09-13. This is the output we got, not the documentation’s.

Want to run this against your own PostgreSQL server from an iPhone, iPad or Mac? These are ours — every connection goes straight from the device to your database, with no account and no server of ours in between.

Postgres & FriendsPostgreSQL and the open-source engines around it

Signature and description adapted from the PostgreSQL manual, used under the PostgreSQL License. PostgreSQL is a registered trademark of the PostgreSQL Community Association of Canada. This page is not affiliated with the PostgreSQL Global Development Group.