Analects 5.9
The Analects (論語), BOOK V. KUNG-YE CH'ANG 公冶長第五
宰予晝寢。子曰、朽木不可雕也、糞土之牆、不可杇也、於予與何誅。子曰、始吾於人也、聽其言而信其行、今吾於人也、聽其言而觀其行、於予與改是。
1. Tsai Yu being asleep during the daytime, the Master said, "Rotten wood cannot be carved; a wall of dirty earth will not receive the trowel. This Yu!—what is the use of my reproving him?"
2. The Master said, "At first, my way with men was to hear their words, and give them credit for their conduct. Now my way is to hear their words, and look at their conduct. It is from Yu that I have learned to make this change."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 宰zǎito slaughter, to butcher; to govern, to
- 予yǔto give; to award
- 晝zhòudaytime, daylight
- 寢qǐnto sleep, to rest; bedroom
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 朽xiǔdecayed, rotten
- 木mùtree; wood, lumber; wooden
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 雕diāoto carve, to engrave; eagle, vulture
- 也yěalso, too
- 糞fènmanure, dung; shit, excrement
- 土tǔsoil, earth; items made of earth
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 牆qiángwall
- 杇wūloquat
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 誅zhūto execute, to kill; to punish
- 始shǐto begin, to start; beginning
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 人rénman, person; people
- 聽tīngto hear, to listen; to understand; to ob
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 今jīnmodern, current; today, now
- 觀guānto observe, to spectate; appearance, vie
- 改gǎito alter, to change, to improve, to remo
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Zhuangzi How to Govern
- Zhuangzi Kêng Sang Ch’u
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi The Evidence of Virtue Complete
- Zhuangzi Perfect Happiness
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.