:dir

The :dir CSS pseudo-class matches elements based on the directionality of the text contained in it. In HTML, the direction is determined by the dir attribute. For other document types there may be other document methods for determining the language.

Note that the usage of the pseudo-class :dir() is not equivalent of using the [dir=…] attribute selectors. The latter matches a value of the dir and doesn't match when no attribute is set, even if in that case the element inherits the value of its parent; similarly [dir=rtl] or [dir=ltr] won't match the auto value that can be used on the dir attribute. In the opposite, :dir() will match the value calculated by the UA, being inherited or the auto value.

Also :dir() considers only the semantic value of the directionality, the one defined in the document, most of the time in HTML. It won't consider styling directionality, the one set by CSS properties like direction which are purely stylistic.

Syntax

:dir( ltr | rtl ) { style properties }

Examples

<div dir="rtl">
  <span>test1</span>
  <div dir="ltr">test2
    <div dir="auto">עִבְרִית</div>
  </div>
</div>

In this example :dir(rtl) will match the top level div, span containing test1, and the div with the hebrew characters. :dir(ltr) will match the div containing test2.

Specifications

Specification	Status	Comment
WHATWG HTML Living Standard The definition of ':dir(ltr)' in that specification.	Living Standard	No changes.
Selectors Level 4 The definition of ':dir()' in that specification.	Working Draft	Initial definition

Browser compatibility

[1] This feature is not implemented yet. See Chromium bug 576815.

[2] Because the standardized property is implemented since Gecko 49.0 (Firefox 49.0 / Thunderbird 49.0 / SeaMonkey 2.46), the -moz prefixed variant was removed in Gecko 53.0 (Firefox 53.0 / Thunderbird 53.0 / SeaMonkey 2.50).

[3] Microsoft Edge feature request on UserVoice.

[4] This feature is not implemented yet. See WebKit bug 64861.

See also

• Language-related pseudo-classes: :lang, :dir