Analects 4.9
The Analects (論語), BOOK IV. LE JIN 里仁第四
子曰、士志於道、而恥惡衣惡食者、未足與議也。
The Master said, "A scholar, whose mind is set on truth, and who is ashamed of bad clothes and bad food, is not fit to be discoursed with."
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
- 士shìscholar, gentleman; soldier
- 志zhìdetermination, will; mark, sign; to reco
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 恥chǐshame, humiliation; ashamed
- 惡èbad, evil, wicked; to hate, to loathe; f
- 衣yīcloth; clothes, apparel; dress, coat
- 食shífood; to eat
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 足zúfoot; to attain, to satisfy; enough
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 議yìto consult, to talk over; to criticize,
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 8.21
- Mencius 2B.2
- Mencius 4A.20
- Zhuangzi Perfect Happiness
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi The Universe
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.