Analects 13.28
The Analects (論語), BOOK XIII. TSZE-LU 子路第十三
子路問曰、何如斯可謂之士矣。子曰、切切、偲偲、怡怡如也、可謂士矣、朋友切切偲偲、兄弟怡怡。
Tsze-lu asked, saying, "What qualities must a man possess to entitle him to be called a scholar?" The Master said, "He must be thus,—earnest, urgent, and bland:—among his friends, earnest and urgent; among his brethren, bland."
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
- 路lùroad, path, street; journey
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 斯sīthis, thus, such; emphatic particle; use
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 士shìscholar, gentleman; soldier
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 切qièto cut, to mince, to slice, to carve; cl
- 偲cāitalented; urgent
- 怡yígladness, joy, pleasure; harmony
- 也yěalso, too
- 朋péngfriend, pal, acquaintance
- 友yǒufriend, companion; fraternity
- 兄xiōngelder brother
- 弟dìyoung brother, junior
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.