HTML Entity for Left Brace ({)

Beginner
5 min read
Updated: Sep 2026
1 example
Unicode U+007B
HTML Entity for Left Brace (U+007B) tutorial illustration
Definition

What Is the Left Brace Entity?

Left Brace ({) is the Basic Latin character at Unicode U+007B (LEFT CURLY BRACKET). It opens code blocks, JSON objects, and set notation — and pairs with }.

Remember
Character     {
Unicode       U+007B
Hex entity    {
Decimal       {
Named entity  {  (alias {)
CSS escape    \7B
Not the same  [ (bracket) · ( (parenthesis)

All of these produce the same glyph: {. Prefer { when you want an explicit entity; typing { directly is fine in normal UTF-8 HTML.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

FormCodeWhere it goes
Named entity{HTML markup (best entity default)
Hex entity{HTML markup
Decimal entity{HTML markup
CSS escape\7BStylesheet content
Direct character{UTF-8 HTML text

When to Use Which

SituationUse
Normal page text / code samplesType { directly
Readable HTML entity source{ (or {)
Need a numeric entity{ or {
Generated text via ::before / ::aftercontent: "\7B"
Closing braceUse } (U+007D)
See it

Live Preview

Left Brace in common coding contexts.

JSON snippet { "name": "Ada" }
Large glyph {
Named entity { → {
vs bracket / paren {  |  [  |  (
With entities Hex: { | Decimal: { | Named: {
Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows Left Brace with hex, decimal, named, and CSS. Use View Output or open the live editor.

Hex + Decimal + Named + CSS

All four ways to produce { in a single document.

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Left Brace ({) in HTML</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\7B";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x7B;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#123;</p>
  <p>Using Named Entity: &lbrace;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p><code>&lbrace; "ok": true &rbrace;</code></p>
</body>
</html>
Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Hex: U+007B → &#x7B; in HTML. The browser turns it into {.

2. Decimal: same code point as 123 → &#123;. Same result as hex.

3. Named: &lbrace; is the HTML5 name (alias &lcub;).

4. CSS: use \7B in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that { after the paragraph text.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with Left Brace.

Look-alikes

{ ≠ [ ≠ (

Curly brace, square bracket, and parenthesis are different characters and Unicode points.

Pairing

Always close with }

Use &rbrace; (U+007D) for the matching right brace.

HTML

Usually safe to type

Unlike < and &, { does not need escaping in normal HTML text — entities are optional.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\7B belongs in CSS. &lbrace; / &#x7B; / &#123; belong in HTML.

Alias

&lcub; works too

&lcub; is an HTML5 alias for the same character as &lbrace;.

Semicolon

End references

Always finish with ; — write &lbrace;, not &lbrace.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Left Brace (U+007B) and its entity forms (&lbrace;, &#x7B;, &#123;, CSS \\7B) are supported in all modern browsers.

✓ Universal support

Left Brace ({)

Encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type { directly in UTF-8 HTML.

100% Browser coverage
Google Chrome Supported
Yes
Microsoft Edge Supported
Yes
Mozilla Firefox Supported
Yes
Apple Safari Supported
Yes
Opera Supported
Yes
Internet Explorer All versions
Yes
U+007B / &lbrace; Full support

Bottom line: Prefer typing { in normal text, or &lbrace; when you want an explicit entity. Use \\7B only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

  • Unicode: this symbol is U+007B (decimal 123).
  • HTML: prefer &lbrace; — or use &#x7B; / &#123; / type {.
  • CSS: use \7B inside content for generated text.
  • Watch out: { ≠ [ ≠ ( — and close with &rbrace;.

One line: U+007B → &lbrace; / &#x7B; / &#123; / CSS \7B.

Frequently Asked Questions

Use &lbrace; (named), &#x7B; (hex), &#123; (decimal), or the CSS escape \7B in the content property. You can also type { directly in UTF-8 HTML.
U+007B (LEFT CURLY BRACKET). Hex 7B, decimal 123. It belongs to the Basic Latin (ASCII) block.
Yes. &lbrace; is the primary HTML5 named entity. &lcub; is a supported alias. You can also use &#x7B; or &#123;.
Use it when documenting code, JSON, or math sets and you want an explicit entity. For normal body text, typing { directly is usually fine.
HTML entities (&lbrace;, &#123;, or &#x7B;) go in markup. The CSS escape \7B is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render {.
[ is Left Bracket (U+005B). ( is Left Parenthesis (U+0028). { is the left curly brace (U+007B).

Did you know?

Left Brace is Unicode U+007B (decimal 123) — LEFT CURLY BRACKET. HTML5 provides &lbrace; (alias &lcub;). Prefer it for readable source, or use &#x7B; / &#123;. Pair it with &rbrace; (U+007D) for matching braces.

Next: Left Bracket

Learn the HTML entity for Left Bracket — next in this sequence.

Left Bracket tutorial →

About the author

Mari Selvan M P
Mari Selvan M P 🔗

Developer, cloud engineer, and technical writer

  • Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
  • Focus Full Stack Development, AWS, and Developer Education

I write practical tutorials so students and working developers can learn by doing—from databases and APIs to deployment on AWS.

AWS Certified Developer – Associate (Credly)

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