Analects 11.20
The Analects (論語), BOOK XI. HSIEN TSIN 先進第十一
子曰、論篤是與、君子者乎、色莊者乎。
The Master said, "If, because a man's discourse appears solid and sincere, we allow him to be a good man, is he really a superior man? or is his gravity only in appearance?"
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
- 論lùndebate; discussion
- 篤dǔdeep, serious; genuine, sincere, true
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 色sècolor, tint, hue, shade; beauty, form; s
- 莊zhuāngvillage, hamlet; villa, manor
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.