Analects 6.6
The Analects (論語), BOOK VI. YUNG YEY 雍也第六
季康子問仲由、可使從政也與。子曰、由也果、於從政乎何有。曰、賜也、可使從政也與。曰、賜也達、於從政乎何有。曰、求也、可使從政也與。曰、求也藝、於從政乎何有。
Chi K'ang asked about Chung-yu, whether he was fit to be employed as an officer of government. The Master said, "Yu is a man of decision; what difficulty would he find in being an officer of government?" K'ang asked, "Is Ts'ze fit to be employed as an officer of government?" and was answered, "Ts'ze is a man of intelligence; what difficulty would he find in being an officer of government?" And to the same question about Ch'iu the Master gave the same reply, saying, "Ch'iu is a man of various ability."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 季jìa quarter-year, a season; surname
- 康kānghealth; peace, quiet
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 仲zhòngmiddle brother; go between, mediator; su
- 由yóucause, reason; from
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
- 從cóngfrom, by, since, whence, through
- 政zhènggovernment, politics
- 也yěalso, too
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 果guǒfruit, nut; result
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 賜cìto give; to bestow a favor; to appoint
- 達dáto reach, to arrive at; intelligent
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 藝yìart; talent, ability; craft
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 13.13
- Analects 11.23
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 18
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.