Analects 7.19
The Analects (論語), BOOK VII. SHU R 述而第七
子曰、我非生而知之者、好古、敏以求之者也。
The Master said, "I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there."
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
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
- 生shēnglife, lifetime; birth; growth
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 好hǎogood, excellent, fine; proper, suitable;
- 古gǔold, classic, ancient
- 敏mǐnfast, quick; clever, smart
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Empire
- Analects 7.1
- Mencius 1A.7
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.