Mencius 5B.9
Mencius (孟子), Book 5, Part II: Wan Zhang II 萬章下
齊宣王問卿。孟子曰：「王何卿之問也？」王曰：「卿不同乎？」曰：「不同。有貴戚之卿，有異姓之卿。」王曰：「請問貴戚之卿。」曰：「君有大過則諫，反覆之而不聽，則易位。」王勃然變乎色。曰：「王勿異也。王問臣，臣不敢不以正對。」王色定，然後請問異姓之卿。曰：「君有過則諫，反覆之而不聽，則去。」
The king Xuan of Qi asked about the office of high ministers. Mencius said, 'Which high ministers is your Majesty asking about?'
'Are there differences among them?' inquired the king.
'There are' was the reply. 'There are the high ministers who are noble and relatives of the prince, and there are those who are of a different surname.'
The king said, 'I beg to ask about the high ministers who are noble and relatives of the prince.'
Mencius answered, 'If the prince have great faults, they ought to remonstrate with him, and if he do not listen to them after they have done so again and again, they ought to dethrone him.'
The king on this looked moved, and changed countenance. Mencius said, 'Let not your Majesty be offended. You asked me, and I dare not answer but according to truth.'
The king's countenance became composed, and he then begged to ask about high ministers who were of a different surname from the prince. Mencius said, 'When the prince has faults, they ought to remonstrate with him; and if he do not listen to them after they have done this again and again, they ought to leave the State.'
Character glossary
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 宣xuānto proclaim, to declare, to announce; su
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 卿qīngnoble; minister; thou (poetic)
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 也yěalso, too
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 同tóngsame, similar; together with, alike
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 貴guìexpensive, costly; valuable, precious
- 戚qīashamed, grieving; related to; relative
- 異yìdifferent, strange, unusual; foreign; su
- 姓xìngname, family name, surname; clan, people
- 請qǐngto ask, to request; to invite; please
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 過guòpass; to go across, to pass through
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 諫jiànto admonish, to remonstrate
- 反fǎnreverse, opposite; contrary, anti-
- 覆fùto cover; to overturn; to repeat; to rep
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 聽tīngto hear, to listen; to understand; to ob
- 易yìto change; to exchange, to trade; simple
- 位wèiseat, throne; rank, status; position, lo
- 勃bóthriving, prosperous; sudden, quick
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 變biànto change, to transform, to alter; rebel
- 色sècolor, tint, hue, shade; beauty, form; s
- 勿wùmust not, do not; without, never
- 臣chénminister, statesman, official, vassal
- 敢gǎnbold, brave; to dare, to venture
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
- 對duìcorrect, right; facing, opposed
- 定dìngto decide, to fix, to settle; to order;
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 去qùto go away, to leave, to depart
Passages with shared wording
- Mencius 1B.1
- Mencius 1A.7
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
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.