Analects 11.6
The Analects (論語), BOOK XI. HSIEN TSIN 先進第十一
季康子問弟子孰爲好學。孔子對曰、有顏回者好學、不幸短命死矣、今也則亡。
Chi K'ang asked which of the disciples loved to learn. Confucius replied to him, "There was Yen Hui; he loved to learn. Unfortunately his appointed time was short, and he died. Now there is no one who loves to learn, as he did."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 季jìa quarter-year, a season; surname
- 康kānghealth; peace, quiet
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 弟dìyoung brother, junior
- 孰shúwho? which? what? which one?
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 好hǎogood, excellent, fine; proper, suitable;
- 學xuélearning, knowledge, science; to study,
- 孔kǒngopening, hole, orifice; great
- 對duìcorrect, right; facing, opposed
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 顏yánface, facial appearance
- 回huíto return, to turn around; a time
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 幸xìngfavor, fortune, luck; surname
- 短duǎnbrief, short; deficient, lacking
- 命mìnglife; destiny, fate, luck; an order, ins
- 死sǐdead; death; impassable, inflexible
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 今jīnmodern, current; today, now
- 也yěalso, too
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 亡wángdeath, destruction; to lose; to perish
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.