側 - Stay on My Left SIDE

Readings & Meanings:

かわ

ソク

side

Common Usage:

右側　（みぎがわ）

側面

Examples:

車を右側に寄せた。

車の側面に傷ができた。

Translations:

I pulled the car up to the right side (of the road).

I got a scratch on the side of my car.

Radical:

人 radical.

Phonetic is 則, the left side of which is an abbreviation of 鼎, which is a pictograph of a tripod kettle (for tea, rice, etc.). The right side shows a knife, 刀, right beside it. 則 means "rule," as it is a rule of the kitchen to have things close at hand.

"Close at hand" is the meaning that 側 borrows from 則, but adds 人. So the picture should be of a person close at hand, on your side.

References:

http://www.kanjinetworks.com/indices/radindex.html
http://www.thejapanesepage.com/node/kanji/7.htm