Analects 1.5
The Analects (論語), BOOK I. HSIO R 學而第一
子曰、道千乘之國、敬事而信、節用而愛人、使民以時。
The Master said, To rule a country of a thousand chariots, there must be reverent attention to business, and sincerity; economy in expenditure, and love for men; and the employment of the people at the proper seasons."
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
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 千qiānthousand; many, numerous; very
- 乘chéngride, mount; to make use of; to ascend;
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 敬jìngto respect, to honor; respectfully
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 節jiéfestival; knot, joint; segment; to econo
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 愛àito love, to like, to be fond of; love, a
- 人rénman, person; people
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 時shítime, season; period, era, age
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Zhuangzi The Empire
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
- Art of War 13.2
- Mencius 7A.45
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.