Analects 1.14
The Analects (論語), BOOK I. HSIO R 學而第一
子曰、君子食無求飽、居無求安、敏於事、而愼於言、就有道、而正焉、可謂好學也已。
The Master said, "He who aims to be a man of complete virtue in his food does not seek to gratify his appetite, nor in his dwelling place does he seek the appliances of ease; he is earnest in what he is doing, and careful in his speech; he frequents the company of men of principle that he may be rectified:—such a person may be said indeed to love to learn."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 食shífood; to eat
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 飽bǎosatisfied; to eat one's fill
- 居jūto live, to reside; to dwell; to sit
- 安ānpeaceful, tranquil, quiet
- 敏mǐnfast, quick; clever, smart
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 愼shènact with care, be cautious
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 就jiùjust, simply; to go to; to approach, nea
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 好hǎogood, excellent, fine; proper, suitable;
- 學xuélearning, knowledge, science; to study,
- 也yěalso, too
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.