Analects 16.7
The Analects (論語), BOOK XVI. KE SHE 季氏第十六
孔子曰、君子有三戒、少之時、血氣未定、戒之在色、及其壯也、血氣方剛、戒之在鬭、及其老也、血氣既衰、戒之在得。
Confucius said, "There are three things which the superior man guards against. In youth, when the physical powers
are not yet settled, he guards against lust. When he is strong and the physical powers are full of vigor, he guards against quarrelsomeness. When he is old, and the animal powers are decayed, he guards against covetousness."
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
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 三sānthree
- 戒jièto warn, to admonish; to swear off, to a
- 少shǎofew, little; less; inadequate
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 時shítime, season; period, era, age
- 血xuèblood
- 氣qìair, gas; steam, vapor; anger
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 定dìngto decide, to fix, to settle; to order;
- 在zàiat, in, on; to exist; used to indicate t
- 色sècolor, tint, hue, shade; beauty, form; s
- 及jíto extend; to reach; and; in time
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 壯zhuàngbig, large; robust, strong; the name of
- 也yěalso, too
- 方fāngsquare, rectangle; side; region; flag
- 剛gānghard, strong, tough; just, barely
- 鬭dòuto struggle, to fight; woodwork, carpent
- 老lǎoold, aged; experienced
- 既jìalready, since, then; both; de facto
- 衰shuāiweak, feeble; to decline, to falter
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Empire
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- Mencius 4A.13
- Mencius 2A.2
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Zhuangzi On Letting Alone
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.