Analects 16.6
The Analects (論語), BOOK XVI. KE SHE 季氏第十六
孔子曰、侍於君子有三愆、言未及之而言、謂之躁、言及之而不言、謂之隱、未見顏色而言、謂之瞽。
Confucius said, "There are three errors to which they who stand in the presence of a man of virtue and station are liable. They may speak when it does not come to them to speak;—this is called rashness. They may not speak when it comes to them to speak;—this is called concealment. They may speak without looking at the countenance of their superior;—this is called blindness."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 孔kǒngopening, hole, orifice; great
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 侍shìto serve, to attend upon; servant, atten
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 三sānthree
- 愆qiānerror, fault, mistake, transgression
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 及jíto extend; to reach; and; in time
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 躁zàotense, irritable; rash, hot-tempered
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 隱yǐnto hide, to conceal; secret, hidden
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 顏yánface, facial appearance
- 色sècolor, tint, hue, shade; beauty, form; s
- 瞽gǔblind, stupid; a blind musician
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- Mencius 5A.4
- Zhuangzi The Old Fisherman
- Zhuangzi Transcendental Bliss
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 43
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.