Analects 7.33
The Analects (論語), BOOK VII. SHU R 述而第七
子曰、若聖與仁、則吾豈敢、抑爲之不厭、誨人不倦、則可謂云爾已矣。公西華曰、正唯弟子不能學也。
The Master said, "The sage and the man of perfect virtue;—how dare I rank myself with them? It may simply be said of me, that I strive to become such without satiety, and teach others without weariness." Kung-hsi Hwa said, "This is just what we, the disciples, cannot imitate you in."
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
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 聖shèngholy, sacred; sage, saint
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 豈qǐwhat; how
- 敢gǎnbold, brave; to dare, to venture
- 抑yìto curb, to hinder; to keep down, to rep
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 厭yànto dislike, to detest; to reject; to sat
- 誨huìto teach, to instruct; to encourage, to
- 人rénman, person; people
- 倦juàntired, weary
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 云yúncloud; to say, to speak
- 爾ěryou; that, those; final particle
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 西xīwest, western, westward
- 華huáflowery; illustrious; Chinese
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
- 唯wéionly; sole
- 弟dìyoung brother, junior
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 學xuélearning, knowledge, science; to study,
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.