Analects 3.22
The Analects (論語), BOOK III. PA YIH 八佾第三
子曰、管仲之器小哉。或曰、管仲儉乎。曰、管氏有三歸、官事不攝、焉得儉。然則管仲知禮乎。曰、邦君樹塞門、管氏亦樹塞門、邦君爲兩君之好、有反坫、管氏亦有反坫、管氏而知禮、孰不知禮。
1. The Master said, "Small indeed was the capacity of Kwan Chung!"
2. Some one said, "Was Kwan Chung parsimonious?" "Kwan," was the reply, "had the San Kwei, and his officers performed no double duties; how can he be considered parsimonious?"
3. "Then, did Kwan Chung know the rules of propriety?" The
Master said, "The princes of States have a screen intercepting the view at their gates. Kwan had likewise a screen at his gate. The princes of States on any friendly meeting between two of them, had a stand on which to place their inverted cups. Kwan had also such a stand. If Kwan knew the rules of propriety, who does not know them?"
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 管guǎntube, pipe, duct; to manage, to control
- 仲zhòngmiddle brother; go between, mediator; su
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 器qìdevice, instrument, tool; receptacle, ve
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 或huòor, either, else; maybe, perhaps, possib
- 儉jiǎntemperate, frugal, economical
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 氏shìclan, family; maiden name
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 三sānthree
- 歸guīto return, to go back; to return to, to
- 官guānofficial, public servant
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 攝shèto absorb, to take in; to photograph; to
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 邦bāngcountry, nation, state
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 樹shùtree; to plant; to set up, to establish
- 塞sāito stop up, to seal, to cork, to block;
- 門méngate, door, entrance, opening
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 兩liǎngtwo, both, pair, couple; ounce
- 好hǎogood, excellent, fine; proper, suitable;
- 反fǎnreverse, opposite; contrary, anti-
- 坫diàna stand on which to replace goblets afte
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 孰shúwho? which? what? which one?
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 7.30
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Analects 16.14
- Zhuangzi The Evidence of Virtue Complete
- Art of War 13.7
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.