Analects 7.27
The Analects (論語), BOOK VII. SHU R 述而第七
子曰、蓋有不知而作之者、我無是也。多聞、擇其善者而從之、多見而識之、知之次也。
The Master said, "There may be those who act without knowing why. I do not do so. Hearing much and selecting what is good and following it; seeing much and keeping it in memory:—this is the second style of knowledge."
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
- 蓋gàito cover, to hide, to protect
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 作zuòto make; to write, to compose; to act, t
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 也yěalso, too
- 多duōmuch, many, multi-; more than, over
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 擇zéto select, to choose
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 從cóngfrom, by, since, whence, through
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 識shíknowledge; to understand, to recognize,
- 次cìorder, sequence; second, next; one after
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 7.21
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Analects 2.18
- Analects 7.2
- Analects 15.2
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.