Analects 19.3
The Analects (論語), BOOK XIX. TSZE-CHANG 子張第十九
子夏之門人問交於子張。子張曰、子夏云何。對曰、子夏曰、可者與之、其不可者拒之。子張曰、異乎吾所聞、君子尊賢而容眾、嘉善而矜不能、我之大賢與、於人何所不容、我之不賢與、人將拒我、如之何其拒人也。
The disciples of Tsze-hsia asked Tsze-chang about the principles that should characterize mutual intercourse. Tsze-chang asked, "What does Tsze-hsia say on the subject?" They replied, "Tsze-hsia says:—'Associate with those who can advantage you. Put away from you those who cannot do so.'" Tsze-chang observed, "This is different from what I have learned. The superior man honours the talented and virtuous, and bears with all. He praises the good, and pities the incompetent. Am I possessed of great talents and virtue?—who is there among men whom I will not bear with? Am I devoid of talents and virtue?—men will put me away from them. What have we to do with the putting away of others?"
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 夏xiàsummer; the Xia or Hsia dynasty
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 門méngate, door, entrance, opening
- 人rénman, person; people
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 交jiāoto connect; to deliver, to exchange; to
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 張zhāngto display; to expand, to open; to stret
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 云yúncloud; to say, to speak
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 對duìcorrect, right; facing, opposed
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 拒jùto defend, to ward off; to refuse
- 異yìdifferent, strange, unusual; foreign; su
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 尊zūnto honor, to respect, to venerate
- 賢xiánvirtuous, worthy; good, able
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 容róngappearance, looks; form, figure; to cont
- 眾zhòngmultitude, crowd; masses, public
- 嘉jiāexcellent; joyful; auspicious
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 矜jīnto pity, to sympathize, to feel sorry fo
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 將jiāngthe future, what will be; ready, prepare
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 21
- Mencius 3A.4
- Zhuangzi The Evidence of Virtue Complete
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.