Coordinates (x,y) give the position of a point on a graph. The x coordinate tells you how far across and the y coordinate tells you how far up.
The coordinates (2,3) indicate a point 2 units to the right of the origin and 3 units up.
The coordinates (-4,-1) indicate a point 4 units to the left of the origin and 1 unit down.
Some people remember this as "along the corridor and up the stairs" or "x is a cross, wise up!"

Software/Applets used on this page
This question appears in the following syllabi:
| Syllabus | Module | Section | Topic | Exam Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA GCSE (9-1) Foundation (UK) | A: Graphs | A8: Understanding Coordinates | Coordinates in All Four Quadrants | - |
| CBSE IX (India) | Coordinate Geometry | Coordinate Geometry | Coordinates | - |
| CIE IGCSE (9-1) Maths (0626 UK) | 5 Co-ordinate Geometry | C5.1 Cartesian Co-ordinates | Coordinates in All Four Quadrants | - |
| Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Foundation (UK) | A: Graphs | A8: Understanding Coordinates | Coordinates in All Four Quadrants | - |
| GCSE Foundation (UK) | Algebra | Coordinates | Finding coordinates | - |
| OCR GCSE (9-1) Foundation (UK) | 7: Graphs of Equations and Functions | 7.01a: x- and y-Coordinates | Coordinates in All Four Quadrants | - |
| Universal (all site questions) | C | Coordinates | Finding coordinates | - |
