Analects 12.23
The Analects (論語), BOOK XII. YEN YUAN 顏淵第十二
子貢問友。子曰、忠吿而善道之、不可則止、毋自辱焉。
Tsze-kung asked about friendship. The Master said, "Faithfully admonish your friend, and skillfully lead him on. If you find him impracticable, stop. Do not disgrace yourself."
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
- 貢gòngto offer, to contribute; tribute, gifts
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 友yǒufriend, companion; fraternity
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 忠zhōngloyalty, devotion, fidelity
- 吿gàotell, announce, inform; accuse
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 止zhǐto stop, to halt; to detain; to desist
- 毋wúnot; do not; surname
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 辱rǔto insult, to humiliate, to abuse
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 11.23
- The Great Learning Passage 3
- Mencius 5B.3
- Analects 5.18
- Zhuangzi Perfect Happiness
- Analects 8.13
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.