# LEFT

The LEFT function returns a substring containing a specified number of characters from the beginning (left side) of a string.

## Syntax

`LEFT(string, length)`

### Parameters

#### string

The string from which the substring will be extracted.

#### length

The number of characters to return from the left side of the string.

## Examples

Extracts the first three characters from the `last_name` column for each employee.

```esql
FROM employees
| KEEP last_name
| EVAL left = LEFT(last_name, 3)
```