Hexagram 64: 未濟 (wèi jì)
Judgment
亨。小狐汔濟，濡其尾，无攸利。
Wei Zî intimates progress and success (in the circumstances which it implies). (We see) a young fox that has nearly crossed (the stream), when its tail gets immersed. There will be no advantage in any way.
Commentary on the judgment (彖傳)
未濟，亨；柔得中也。小狐汔濟，未出中也。濡其尾，无攸利；不續終也。雖不當位，剛柔應也。
The image (大象)
火在水上，未濟；君子以慎辨物居方。
The six lines
| Line | Chinese | Legge | Changes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 — | 有孚于飲酒，无咎，濡其首，有孚失是。 | The topmost line, undivided, shows its subject full of confidence and therefore feasting (quietly). There will be no error. (If he) cherish this confidence, till he (is like the fox who) gets his head immersed, it will fail of what is right. | 40 |
| 5 – – | 貞吉，无悔，君子之光，有孚，吉。 | The fifth line, divided, shows its subject by firm correctness obtaining good fortune, and having no occasion for repentance. (We see in him) the brightness of a superior man, and the possession of sincerity. There will be good fortune. | 6 |
| 4 — | 貞吉，悔亡，震用伐鬼方，三年有賞于大國。 | The fourth line, undivided, shows its subject by firm correctness obtaining good fortune, so that all occasion for repentance disappears. Let him stir himself up, as if he were invading the Demon region, where for three years rewards will come to him (and his troops) from the great kingdom. | 4 |
| 3 – – | 未濟，征凶，利涉大川。 | The third line, divided, shows its subject, with (the state of things) not yet remedied, advancing on; which will lead to evil. But there will be advantage in (trying to) cross the great stream. | 50 |
| 2 — | 曳其輪，貞吉。 | The second line, undivided, shows its subject dragging back his (carriage-)wheel. With firmness and correctness there will be good fortune. | 35 |
| 1 – – | 濡其尾，吝。 | The first line, divided, shows its subject (like a fox) whose tail gets immersed. There will be occasion for regret. | 38 |
Lines are numbered from the bottom. Each line page shows the line text with its small image commentary; each “changes to” link opens the reading for that changing line.
Related hexagrams
- Inverse (lines in reverse order): hexagram 63
- Opposite (every line changed): hexagram 63 · reading
- Nuclear (lines 2–4 and 3–5): hexagram 63
English: James Legge, The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East vol. 16 (1882) — public domain; OCR text of the 1882 printing, checked against the proofread hexagrams. Chinese: Zhou Yi from Chinese Wikisource.
Character glossary
- 亨hēngprospering, going smoothly
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 狐húfox
- 汔qìnearby
- 濟jìto aid, to help, to relieve; to ferry ac
- 濡rúto moisten, to immerse; wet, damp
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 尾wěitail; extremity, end; back, rear
- 无wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 攸yōudistant, far; adverbial prefix
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
- 吝lìnstingy, miserly; parsimonious
- 曳yèto tow, to pull, to drag
- 輪lúnwheel; to turn, to revolve; to recur
- 貞zhēnvirtuous, chaste, pure; loyal
- 吉jílucky, propitious, good
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 征zhēngto summon, to recruit; levy, tax; journe
- 凶xiōngculprit; murder; bad, sad
- 涉shèsconcerned, involved; to experience; to
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 川chuānstream, river
- 悔huǐto regret, to repent, to show remorse
- 亡wángdeath, destruction; to lose; to perish
- 震zhènshake, quake, tremor; to excite
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 伐fácut down, subjugate, attack
- 鬼guǐghost; demon; sly, mischievous
- 方fāngsquare, rectangle; side; region; flag
- 三sānthree
- 年niányear; anniversary; a person's age
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 賞shǎngreward; to appreciate; to bestow, to gra
- 于yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 光guānglight; bright, brilliant; only, merely
- 孚fúto brood over eggs; to have confidence
- 飲yǐnto swallow, to drink; a kind of drink
- 酒jiǔwine, spirits, liquor, alcohol
- 咎jiùfault, defect; error, mistake
- 首shǒuchief, head, leader
- 失shīto lose; to make a mistake, to neglect
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.