Analects 2.17
The Analects (論語), BOOK II. WEI CHANG 爲政第二
子曰、由、誨女知之乎、知之爲知之、不知爲不知、是知也。
The Master said, "Yu, shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it;—this is knowledge."
1. Tsze-chang was learning with a view to official emolument.
2. The Master said, "Hear much and put aside the points of which you stand in doubt, while you speak cautiously at the same time of the others:—then you will afford few occasions for blame. See much and put aside the things which seem perilous, while you are cautious at the same time in carrying the others into practice:—then you will have few occasions for repentance. When one gives few occasions for blame in his words, and few occasions for repentance in his conduct, he is in the way to get emolument."
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 由yóucause, reason; from
- 誨huìto teach, to instruct; to encourage, to
- 女nǚwoman, girl; female
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
- Zhuangzi Kêng Sang Ch’u
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 70
- Zhuangzi Nourishment of the Soul
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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