Analects 2.9
The Analects (論語), BOOK II. WEI CHANG 爲政第二
子曰、吾與回言終日、不違、如愚。退而省其私、亦足以發、回也不愚。
The Master said, "I have talked with Hui for a whole day, and he has not made any objection to anything I said;—as if he were stupid. He has retired, and I have examined his conduct when away from me, and found him able to illustrate my teachings. Hui!—He is not stupid."
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
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 回huíto return, to turn around; a time
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 終zhōngend; finally, in the end
- 日rìsun; day; daytime
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 違wéito violate, to disobey, to defy; to sepa
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 愚yústupid, foolish
- 退tuìto retreat, to step back, to withdraw
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 省shěngprovince; frugal; to save, to leave out
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 私sīpersonal, private, secret; selfish
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 足zúfoot; to attain, to satisfy; enough
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 發fāto issue, to dispatch, to send out; hair
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 5.8
- Zhuangzi Perfect Happiness
- Zhuangzi On Swords
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 7
- Mencius 2B.8
- Hexagram 5
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.