Analects 1.7
The Analects (論語), BOOK I. HSIO R 學而第一
子夏曰、賢賢易色、事父母、能竭其力、事君、能致其身、與朋友交、言而有信、雖曰未學、吾必謂之學矣。
Tsze-hsia said, "If a man withdraws his mind from the love of beauty, and applies it as sincerely to the love of the virtuous; if, in serving his parents, he can exert his utmost strength; if, in serving his prince, he can devote his life; if, in his intercourse with his friends, his words are sincere:—although men say that he has not learned, I will certainly say that he has."
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
- 夏xiàsummer; the Xia or Hsia dynasty
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 賢xiánvirtuous, worthy; good, able
- 易yìto change; to exchange, to trade; simple
- 色sècolor, tint, hue, shade; beauty, form; s
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 父fùfather, dad
- 母mǔmother; female elders; female
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 竭jiéto exhaust; to put forth great effort
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 力lìstrength, power; capability, influence
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 致zhìto send; to present, to deliver; to caus
- 身shēnbody, torso; person; pregnancy
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 朋péngfriend, pal, acquaintance
- 友yǒufriend, companion; fraternity
- 交jiāoto connect; to deliver, to exchange; to
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 學xuélearning, knowledge, science; to study,
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 必bìsurely, certainly; must; will
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Analects 1.4
- Zhuangzi The Empire
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Mencius 3B.2
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.