Analects 1.8
The Analects (論語), BOOK I. HSIO R 學而第一
子曰、君子不重、則不威、學則不固。主忠信。無友不如己者。過則勿憚改。
1. The Master said, "If the scholar be not grave, he will not call forth any veneration, and his learning will not be solid.
2. "Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.
3. "Have no friends not equal to yourself.
4. "When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them."
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
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 重zhòngheavy, weighty; to double, to repeat
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 威wēimight, power, prestige; to dominate
- 學xuélearning, knowledge, science; to study,
- 固gùto solidify; strength
- 主zhǔto own; to host; master; host; lord
- 忠zhōngloyalty, devotion, fidelity
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 友yǒufriend, companion; fraternity
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 己jǐself, oneself; personal, private; 6th he
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 過guòpass; to go across, to pass through
- 勿wùmust not, do not; without, never
- 憚dànto fear, to dread; to dislike, to avoid
- 改gǎito alter, to change, to improve, to remo
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.