Analects 15.17
The Analects (論語), BOOK XV. WEI LING KUNG 衞靈公第十五
子曰、君子義以爲質、禮以行之、孫以出之、信以成之、君子哉。
The Master said, "The superior man in everything considers righteousness to be essential. He performs it according to the rules of propriety. He brings it forth in humility. He completes it with sincerity. This is indeed a superior man."
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
- 義yìright conduct, propriety; justice
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 質zhìessence, nature; material, substance
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 孫sūngrandchild, descendent; surname
- 出chūto go out, to send out; stand; produce
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 成chéngto accomplish; to become; to complete, t
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Analects 17.23
- Zhuangzi On Letting Alone
- Zhuangzi The Empire
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 54
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.