Analects 15.5
The Analects (論語), BOOK XV. WEI LING KUNG 衞靈公第十五
子張問行。子曰、言忠信、行篤敬、雖蠻貊之邦、行矣、言不忠信、行不篤敬、雖州里、行乎哉。立、則見其參於前也、在輿、則見其倚於衡也、夫然後行。子張書諸紳。
1. Tsze-chang asked how a man should conduct himself, so as to be everywhere appreciated.
2. The Master said, "Let his words be sincere and truthful, and his actions honourable and careful;—such conduct may be practised among the rude tribes of the South or the North. If his words be
not sincere and truthful and his actions not honourable and careful, will he, with such conduct, be appreciated, even in his neighborhood?
3. "When he is standing, let him see those two things, as it were, fronting him. When he is in a carriage, let him see them attached to the yoke. Then may he subsequently carry them into practice."
4. Tsze-chang wrote these counsels on the end of his sash.
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 張zhāngto display; to expand, to open; to stret
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 忠zhōngloyalty, devotion, fidelity
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 篤dǔdeep, serious; genuine, sincere, true
- 敬jìngto respect, to honor; respectfully
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 蠻mánbarbarians; barbarous, rude, savage
- 貊mòleopard; an ancient tribe in northeast C
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 邦bāngcountry, nation, state
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 州zhōustate, province, prefecture
- 里lǐunit of distance equal to 0.5km; village
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 立lìto stand; to establish, to set up
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 參cānto take part in, to intervene; ginseng
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 前qiánin front, forward; former, preceding
- 也yěalso, too
- 在zàiat, in, on; to exist; used to indicate t
- 輿yúcart, palanquin, sedan chair
- 倚yǐto rely on, to depend on
- 衡héngto measure, to weigh; to consider, to ju
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 書shūbook, letter, document; writing
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 紳shēngirdle, tie; gentry; to bend
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 32
- Zhuangzi Language
- Analects 19.2
- Analects 18.8
- Analects 18.2
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.