Analects 17.6
The Analects (論語), BOOK XVII. YANG HO 陽貨第十七
子張問仁於孔子、孔子曰、能行五者於天下爲仁矣。請問之、曰、恭、寬、信、敏、惠、恭、則不侮、寬、則得眾、信、則人任焉、敏、則有功、惠、則足以使人。
Tsze-chang asked Confucius about perfect virtue. Confucius said, "To be able to practise five things everywhere under heaven constitutes perfect virtue." He begged to ask what they were, and was told, "Gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness. If you are grave, you will not be treated with disrespect. If you are generous, you will win all. If you are sincere, people will repose trust in you. If you are earnest, you will accomplish much. If you are kind, this will enable you to employ the services of others.
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
- 張zhāngto display; to expand, to open; to stret
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 孔kǒngopening, hole, orifice; great
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 五wǔfive; surname
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 請qǐngto ask, to request; to invite; please
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 恭gōngpolite, respectful, reverent
- 寬kuānbroad, spacious, vast, wide
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 敏mǐnfast, quick; clever, smart
- 惠huìfavor, benefit, blessing, kindness
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 侮wǔinsult, ridicule, disgrace
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 眾zhòngmultitude, crowd; masses, public
- 人rénman, person; people
- 任rènto trust, to rely on; to appoint; to bea
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 功gōngachievement, good work; merit; service
- 足zúfoot; to attain, to satisfy; enough
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 20.1
- Mencius 4A.16
- Zhuangzi Language
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Zhuangzi Kêng Sang Ch’u
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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