# Right-left (order). Military march



## Juan Nadie

Well, I am not sure if this exist in English, so I better explain it.

Military step is often keep thanks to someone who sets the pace. There are several ways to do this, most of them by shouting something to the group.

In Spanish one of the common expresions goes: "Izquierda, izquierda, izquierda-derecha-izquierda" // "Left, left, left-right-left", so that everyone move the same leg/foot at the same time. It is always the left leg first.

How is it said in your language? Do they always start with the same leg? Is it the left or the right? Or is it one of them missed on the rythm?

Regards.


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## apmoy70

In Greek we always start with the left leg: «αριστερό-δεξί», ariste'ro-ðe'ksi (left-right).
The most common expression goes like this: «αριστερό-δεξί, ένα-δύο», ariste'ro-ðe'ksi, 'ena-'ðio (left-right, one-two)


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## jazyk

Since I've never been in the army, I can say what I've seen in movies in Portuguese. What I usually hear is _esquerda, direita, esquerda, direita_ (left, right, left, right).


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## sakvaka

The common expression in *Finnish *is _Vasen, vasen, vasen kaks kol._ (Left, left, left two three) 

But I cannot understand: how can the leader say "Iz-quier-da" or "A-ris-te-ro", 3-4 syllables, if they are marching at a fast pace?  Our two syllables suit the rhythm better, I think...


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## Juan Nadie

Spanish never march at fast pace.

Nah, seriously... it is used when learning how to do it or when a low pace is setted, if they are at a fast one they don't (usually) say that. But it is something that can be said fast enough.
Sure one or two syllables go better, and sometimes it is used "un, dos" (one, two).

I opened this thread because I realised that it is one of the few places (I could think of) where "left" is more important than "right" in Spanish and I wondered if it was different in other countries/languages.


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## merquiades

Fortunately I've never been in the army, but this is one of the few places it seems English is exactly like Spanish.   Left! Left! Left, Right, Left!  (repeat) ad vitam aeternam.


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## bibax

Czech:

Levá, ---, levá, ---, levá, ---, levá, .... (left, ...)

or

Levá, dva, levá, dva, levá, dva, ... (left, two, ...)

When I was in the army we also sang marches and folk songs in the marching rhythm.


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## Juan Nadie

Thanks to everyone.

It is really interesting the result of the thread.

Spanish: Izquierda, izquierda, izquierda-derecha-izquierda // Left, left, left-right-left
Greek: αριστερό-δεξί, ένα-δύο // left-right, one-two
Portuguese: _esquerda, direita, esquerda, direita_ // left, right, left, right
Finnish: _Vasen, vasen, vasen kaks kol // _Left, left, left two three
English:   Left! Left! Left, Right, Left // Left, left, left, right, left
Czech: Levá, (dva), levá, (dva) // left, (two), left, (two)

So everyone has left as the first one and some as the only one. I really was waiting for some with right as the first one, but really interesting.
If anyone has an idea about why left is predominant in this so particular context I would also love to hear it.

The thread is open to futures post and my thanks to them too.


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## Maroseika

Russian:
Раз-два, раз-два, левой, левой... (One-two, one-two, left, left). "left" is in the instrumental case.
Count "two" refers to the right leg, therefore duration of "one-two" = left + interval

Any movement begins only with the left leg. 
Turn around (on 180 degrees) - only around the left leg. What's about your armies, by the way? In American movies I saw soldiers turning around the right leg.

All Russian drill excersises came in the 18th cent. from the Prussian army.
According to the popular version, in all the European armies soldiers begin movement with the left leg since the Ancient Rome epoch, when the soldiers moved in the line during the battle and even on the parades by so called step-touch - due to the high shield in the left hand: left leg forward, then right leg is touched.
In the Ancient Greek army soldiers even had a shoe only on the left foot.


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## Outsider

jazyk said:


> Since I've never been in the army, I can say what I've seen in movies in Portuguese. What I usually hear is _esquerda, direita, esquerda, direita_ (left, right, left, right).


I think that in Portugal the masculine words are used: _esquerdo, direito_.


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## Orlin

Maroseika said:


> Russian:
> Раз-два, раз-два, левой, левой... (One-two, one-two, left, left). "left" is in the instrumental case.
> Count "two" refers to the right leg, therefore duration of "one-two" = left + interval


 
I've never been in the army, but I've heard of _Раз-два, леви-десни! _(One-two, left-right! - the adjectives are in plural, in which there are no gender differences) in Bulgarian.


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## ThomasK

In Dutch: just *'links, rechts',* I think.


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## Rallino

In Turkish, it's the same.

Left: Sol
Right: Sağ


Sol - Sol - Sol - Sağ - Sol.


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## Lars H

Hej

The Swedish way is the same as the Spanish, British and Turkish:
"Vänster -- vänster -- vänster - höger - vänster". And always commencing with the left foot.


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## Ruminante

More than 30 years ago, my brother came back on a break from his standard Army service and was eager to teach me this march. What I remember very well is that there was a sort of "progression" in this sequence of left & right. It all started with: " 'no (with the left foot), dué (with the right foot), 'no, dué, etc. " which stand for "uno, due.. (one, two) in abbreviated & accented form. Then my brother would say: "passo" (in English: "step") (at the moment the left foot was touching the ground), then silent a few seconds before repeating "passo", as follows: "passo right left right passo right left right" then came the magic word: "cadenza" ! after which certain steps became more "strong" and noisy than the others, the ones in bold: *left*, right, *left*, right, *left right left *right. 
It is one of the nicest souvenirs I have of my dear brother! Because it is something very special he was living, something that he did not like but at the same time, he needed to perpetuate at home and share with other people, in that case, myself and my younger sister.


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## Lars H

Maroseika said:


> Any movement begins only with the left leg.
> Turn around (on 180 degrees) - only around the left leg. What's about your armies, by the way? In American movies I saw soldiers turning around the right leg.



I had to stand up and actually do the turn to remember. It appears my head had forgotten, but not my legs 

A 180 degree turnaround in the Swedish armed forces is always made counter clockwise and means turning around the left leg. 
A cavalry turnaround however, starts with a small step with the right foot, in order to make place for the left spur as the turn is made.


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## sakvaka

sakvaka said:


> The common expression in *Finnish *is _Vasen, vasen, vasen kaks kol._ (Left, left, left two three)
> 
> But I cannot understand: how can the leader say "Iz-quier-da" or "A-ris-te-ro", 3-4 syllables, if they are marching at a fast pace?  Our two syllables suit the rhythm better, I think...



*Correction*. I've seen _Vasen, vasen, vasen kaks kol_ used in films and comics, but I just discovered that the actual expression used in Finnish Army is _Vasen, vasen, vasen -- yks, kaks, kolme._ (Left, left, left, one, two, three).


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## tFighterPilot

Hebrew: smol yamín smol, smol yamín smol, smol yamín smol yamín smol yamín smol (smol שמאל left, yamín ימין right)


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## osemnais

Orlin said:


> I've never been in the army, but I've heard of _Раз-два, леви-десни! _(One-two, left-right! - the adjectives are in plural, in which there are no gender differences) in Bulgarian.


I thought this one is used:
Леви десни,
леви десни,
леви десни -
ще вървим напред.
Left right
left right
left right
we'll go forwards.


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## apmoy70

sakvaka said:


> The common expression in *Finnish *is _Vasen, vasen, vasen kaks kol._ (Left, left, left two three)
> 
> But I cannot understand: how can the leader say "Iz-quier-da" or "A-ris-te-ro", 3-4 syllables, if they are marching at a fast pace?  Our two syllables suit the rhythm better, I think...



Sorry for my late response but in fast pace marching what you hear is: «Ένα-δύο-εν-δυο» /'ena 'ðio en ðʝo/ (one-two-one-two, the metre goes like this: / * / * / /, where /=stressed, *=unstressed syllable)


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## OneStroke

In Hong Kong, people are not allowed to join the army, so the army uses Putonghua. However, when children and teenagers (e.g. boy scouts, girl guides, road safety patrol) march, English is usually used. 'Left' and 'right' are used in this situation.


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## Encolpius

In *Hungarian *they start with their *LEFT *leg. Bal, bal, bal, bal...jobb, bal..jobb, etc.


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## mataripis

Right-left is Kanan-Kaliwa in Tagalog.


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