Analects 12.11
The Analects (論語), BOOK XII. YEN YUAN 顏淵第十二
齊景公問政於孔子。孔子對曰、君君、臣臣、父父、子子。公曰、善哉、信如君不君、臣不臣、父不父、子不子、雖有粟、吾得而食諸。
1. The Duke Ching, of Ch'i, asked Confucius about government.
2. Confucius replied, "There is government, when the prince is prince, and the minister is minister; when the father is father, and the son is son."
3. "Good!" said the duke; "if, indeed; the prince be not prince, the minister not minister, the father not father, and the son not son, although I have my revenue, can I enjoy it?"
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 景jǐngscenery, view; conditions, circumstances
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 政zhènggovernment, politics
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 孔kǒngopening, hole, orifice; great
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 對duìcorrect, right; facing, opposed
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 臣chénminister, statesman, official, vassal
- 父fùfather, dad
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 粟sùoats, millet, barley
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 食shífood; to eat
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Mencius 5A.4
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Mencius 1B.4
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Analects 5.27
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.