Analects 7.3
The Analects (論語), BOOK VII. SHU R 述而第七
子曰、德之不脩、學之不講、聞義不能徒、不善不能改、是吾憂也。
The Master said, "The leaving virtue without proper cultivation; the not thoroughly discussing what is learned; not being able to move towards righteousness of which a knowledge is gained; and not being able to change what is not good:—these are the things which occasion me solicitude."
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
- 德déethics, morality; compassion, kindness
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 脩xiūdried meat
- 學xuélearning, knowledge, science; to study,
- 講jiǎngtalk, speech, lecture; to speak, to expl
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 義yìright conduct, propriety; justice
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 徒túdisciple, follower; only, merely; in vai
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 改gǎito alter, to change, to improve, to remo
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 憂yōusad, grieving; melancholy, grief
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Old Fisherman
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Analects 5.9
- Analects 15.29
- Zhuangzi Joined Toes
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.