Analects 12.15
The Analects (論語), BOOK XII. YEN YUAN 顏淵第十二
子曰、博學於文、約之以禮、亦可以弗畔矣夫。
The Master said, "By extensively studying all learning, and keeping himself under the restraint of the rules of propriety, one may thus likewise not err from what is right."
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
- 博bóto gamble, to play games; to win; rich,
- 學xuélearning, knowledge, science; to study,
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 文wénculture, literature, writing
- 約yuētreaty, covenant, agreement
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 弗fúnot, negative
- 畔pànriver bank; a boundary path that divides
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.