A liquid crystal compound having specific features suitable to use for a display mode utilizing ferroelectric liquid crystals, particularly a large spontaneous polarization value and a liquid crystal composition using the compound are provided, which compound is an optically active liquid crystalline compound of the formula ##STR1## wherein l and m each are 0 or 1; at least one of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 is an optically active alkoxy group of the formula ##STR2## wherein R.sup.3 is 2 or 3C alkyl and R.sup.4 is 3-18C alkyl, but R.sup.3 .noteq.R.sup.4 and the other thereof is 1-20C alkyl, alkoxy or alkanoyloxy, halogen or cyano; and A is a specified two or three rings compound.