Analects 11.21
The Analects (論語), BOOK XI. HSIEN TSIN 先進第十一
子路問聞斯行諸。子曰、有父兄在、如之何其聞斯行之。冉有問聞斯行諸。子曰、聞斯行之。公西華曰、由也問聞斯行諸、子曰、有父兄在、求也問聞斯行諸、子曰、聞斯行之、赤也惑、敢問。子曰、求也退、故進之、由也兼人、故退之。
Tsze-lu asked whether he should immediately carry into practice what he heard. The Master said, "There are your father and elder brothers to be consulted;—why should you act on that principle of immediately carrying into practice what you hear?" Zan Yu asked the same, whether he should immediately carry into practice what he heard, and the Master answered, "Immediately carry into practice what you hear." Kung-hsi Hwa said, "Yu asked whether he should carry immediately into practice what he heard, and you said, 'There are your father and elder brothers to be consulted.' Ch'iu asked whether he should immediately carry into practice what he heard, and you said, 'Carry it immediately into practice.' I, Ch'ih, am perplexed, and venture to ask you for an explanation." The Master said, "Ch'iu is retiring and slow; therefore, I urged him forward. Yu has more than his own share of energy; therefore I kept him back."
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 路lùroad, path, street; journey
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 斯sīthis, thus, such; emphatic particle; use
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 父fùfather, dad
- 兄xiōngelder brother
- 在zàiat, in, on; to exist; used to indicate t
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 冉rǎntender; weak; to proceed gradually
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 西xīwest, western, westward
- 華huáflowery; illustrious; Chinese
- 由yóucause, reason; from
- 也yěalso, too
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 赤chìred, scarlet; blushing; bare, naked
- 惑huòto confuse, to mislead; to doubt
- 敢gǎnbold, brave; to dare, to venture
- 退tuìto retreat, to step back, to withdraw
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 進jìnto advance, to make progress; to come in
- 兼jiānboth, and; at the same time; to unite, t
- 人rénman, person; people
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 11.25
- Analects 7.33
- Analects 5.7
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
- Analects 19.25
- Zhuangzi The Universe
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.