Mencius 4A.24
Mencius (孟子), Book 4, Part I: Li Lou I 離婁上
樂正子從於子敖之齊。樂正子見孟子。孟子曰：「子亦來見我乎？」曰：「先生何為出此言也？」曰：「子來幾日矣？」曰：「昔昔。」曰：「昔昔，則我出此言也，不亦宜乎？」曰：「舍館未定。」曰：「子聞之也，舍館定，然後求見長者乎？」曰：「克有罪。」
The disciple Yue Zheng went in the train of Zi Ao to Qi. He came to see Mencius, who said to him, 'Are you also come to see me?' Yue Zheng replied, 'Master, why do you speak such words?' 'How many days have you been here?' asked Mencius. 'I came yesterday.' 'Yesterday! Is it not with reason then that I thus speak?' 'My lodging-house was not arranged.' 'Have you heard that a scholar's lodging-house must be arranged before he visit his elder?' Yue Zheng said, 'I have done wrong.'
Character glossary
- 樂lècheerful, happy, laughing; music
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 從cóngfrom, by, since, whence, through
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 敖áoto ramble, to play about; leisurely; sur
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 來láito arrive, to come, to return; in the fu
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 先xiānfirst, former, previous
- 生shēnglife, lifetime; birth; growth
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 出chūto go out, to send out; stand; produce
- 此cǐthis, these; in this case, then
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 也yěalso, too
- 幾jǐsmall table; how many; a few, some
- 日rìsun; day; daytime
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 昔xīpast, former; ancient
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 宜yífitting, proper, right; what one should
- 舍shěhouse, dwelling; to reside, to dwell; to
- 館guǎnpublic building; shop, house, establishm
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 定dìngto decide, to fix, to settle; to order;
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 長zhǎnglong, lasting; to excel in
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 克kèto subdue, to restrain, to overcome; use
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 罪zuìsin, vice; fault, guilt; crime
Passages with shared wording
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.