Analects 13.25
The Analects (論語), BOOK XIII. TSZE-LU 子路第十三
子曰、君子易事而難說也、說之不以道、不說也、及其使人也、器之。小人難事而易說也、說之雖不以道、說也、及其使人也、求備焉。
The Master said, "The superior man is easy to serve and difficult to please. If you try to please him in any way which is not accordant with right, he will not be pleased. But in his employment of men, he uses them according to their capacity. The mean man is difficult to serve, and easy to please. If you try to please him, though it be in a way which is not accordant with right, he may be pleased. But in his employment of men, he wishes them to be equal to everything."
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
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 易yìto change; to exchange, to trade; simple
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 難nánhard, difficult, arduous; unable
- 說shuōto speak, to say; to scold, to upbraid
- 也yěalso, too
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 及jíto extend; to reach; and; in time
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
- 人rénman, person; people
- 器qìdevice, instrument, tool; receptacle, ve
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 備bèito prepare; to get ready, to equip; read
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.