Analects 14.44
The Analects (論語), BOOK XIV. HSIEN WAN 憲問第十四
子曰、上好禮、則民易使也。
The Master said, "When rulers love to observe the rules of propriety, the people respond readily to the calls on them for service."
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
- 上shàngabove, on top, superior; to go up; to at
- 好hǎogood, excellent, fine; proper, suitable;
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 易yìto change; to exchange, to trade; simple
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.