論語 The Analects of Confucius The whole Analects in Chinese and English, word by word, with two and a half thousand years of argument over what each line means, and a podcast that walks through it.
Search a word, a name or a passage / Passage of the day · Analects 2.12
子曰：「君子不器。」
The Master said, "Exemplary persons do not live like a mere vessel."
Ni
The commentators split two ways on 不器 → Episode 1: Don't be a Tool Passage of the day · Analects 2.16
子曰：「攻乎異端，斯害也已！」
The Master said, "Laboring along the byways—this is harmful indeed!"
Editor's Translation
The commentators split four ways on 異端 → Episode 22: The Side Quest Trap Passage of the day · Analects 4.8
子曰：「朝聞道，夕死可矣。」
The Master said, "Having in the morning heard that the Way was being put into practice, I could die that evening without regret."
Slingerland
The commentators split two ways on 聞道 → Episode 13: In Days of Old When Kings Were Bold Passage of the day · Analects 15.40
子曰：「道不同，不相為謀。」
The Master said, "People with different ways cannot make plans together."
Editor's Translation
The commentators split three ways on 道不同 → Episode 21: Parting Ways Passage of the day · Analects 9.1
子罕言利，與命，與仁。
The Master rarely spoke of personal advantage, of Heaven’s orders, or of human-heartedness.
Editor's Translation
The commentators split three ways on this line → Episode 28: When Heaven Sends Orders Passage of the day · Analects 4.16
子曰：「君子喻於義，小人喻於利。」
The Master said, "To the great, appropriateness is wisdom. To the small, gaining advantage is wisdom."
Editor's Translation
The commentators split two ways on this line → Episode 15: Is Greed Ever Good? Passage of the day · Analects 6.25
子曰：「觚不觚，觚哉！觚哉！」
The Master said, "A gu that's not a gu! What a gu! What a gu!"
Editor's Translation
The commentators split three ways on 觚 → Episode 17: Don't Call a Tail a Leg Passage of the day · Analects 3.12
祭如在，祭神如神在。子曰：「吾不與祭，如不祭。」
"Sacrifice as if they were present" means "sacrifice as if the spirits are present." The Master said, "If I am not fully present at the sacrifice, it is as if I did not sacrifice at all."
Editor's Translation
The commentators split three ways on this line → Episode 16: A River Without Banks is a Swamp Passage of the day · Analects 9.13
子貢曰：「有美玉於斯，韞匵而藏諸？求善賈而沽諸？」子曰：「沽之哉！沽之哉！我待賈者也。」
Zigong said, "Here's a beautiful piece of jade, what do you do with it? Lock it up and hide it, or try to sell it at a good price?"
Editor's Translation
The commentators split two ways on 哉 → Episode 14: Golden Handcuffs & Pearls Before Swine Passage of the day · Analects 15.4
子曰：「由！知德者鮮矣。」
The Master said, "Zilu my child, there sure are few people nowadays who really understand moral charisma."
Editor's Translation
The commentators split two ways on 者鮮 → Episode 9: You're Out There in the Trenches Passage of the day · Analects 4.3
子曰：「唯仁者能好人，能惡人。」
The Master said, "Only the human-hearted are capable of loving people and capable of hating people."
Editor's Translation
The commentators split two ways on this line → Episode 23: Love and Hate Passage of the day · Analects 4.4
子曰：「苟志於仁矣，無惡也。」
The Master said, "If you just set your will on human-heartedness, you will have no bad intentions."
Editor's Translation
The commentators split two ways on 惡 → Episode 23: Love and Hate Passage of the day · Analects 8.14
子曰：「不在其位，不謀其政。」
The Master said, “If you’re not in the position, don’t direct its policies.”
Editor's Translation
The commentators split three ways on 謀 → Episode 26: Mind Your Own Business Passage of the day · Analects 7.12
子曰：「富而可求也，雖執鞭之士，吾亦為之。如不可求，從吾所好。」
The Master said, "If it were appropriate to seek wealth, even if it meant working as a guard holding a whip, I'd still do so. Since it's not, instead I'll pursue my own passions."
Editor's Translation
The commentators split two ways on 可求 → Episode 14: Golden Handcuffs & Pearls Before Swine Passage of the day · Analects 1.1
子曰：「學而時習之，不亦說乎？有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎？人不知而不慍，不亦君子乎？」
The Master said: "Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application? Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters? Is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no discomposure though men may take no note of him?"
James Legge, 1861
The commentators split two ways on 人不知 → Passage of the day · Analects 1.2
有子曰：「其為人也孝弟，而好犯上者，鮮矣；不好犯上，而好作亂者，未之有也。君子務本，本立而道生。孝弟也者，其為仁之本與！」
The philosopher You said: "They are few who, being filial and fraternal, are fond of offending against their superiors. There have been none, who, not liking to offend against their superiors, have been fond of stirring up confusion. The superior man bends his attention to what is radical. That being established, all practical courses naturally grow up. Filial piety and fraternal submission! — are they not the root of all benevolent actions?"
James Legge, 1861
The commentators split two ways on 犯上 → Passage of the day · Analects 2.1
子曰：「為政以德，譬如北辰，居其所而眾星共之。」
The Master said: "He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it."
James Legge, 1861
The commentators split three ways on 為政以德 → Passage of the day · Analects 2.4
子曰：「吾十有五而志于學，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳順，七十而從心所欲，不踰矩。」
The Master said: "At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning. At thirty, I stood firm. At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven. At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth. At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right."
James Legge, 1861
The commentators split three ways on 天命 → Passage of the day · Analects 4.15
子曰：「參乎！吾道一以貫之。」曾子曰：「唯。」子出。門人問曰：「何謂也？」曾子曰：「夫子之道，忠恕而已矣。」
The Master said: "Shen, my doctrine is that of an all-pervading unity." The disciple Zeng replied: "Yes." The Master went out, and the other disciples asked, saying: "What do his words mean?" Zeng said: "The doctrine of our master is to be true to the principles of our nature and the benevolent exercise of them to others, — this and nothing more."
James Legge, 1861
The commentators split three ways on 一以貫之 → Passage of the day · Analects 9.17
子在川上，曰：「逝者如斯夫！不舍晝夜。」
The Master standing by a stream, said: "It passes on just like this, not ceasing day or night!"
James Legge, 1861
The commentators split three ways on 逝者 → Passage of the day · Analects 11.12
季路問事鬼神。子曰：「未能事人，焉能事鬼？」敢問死。曰：「未知生，焉知死？」
Jilu asked about serving the spirits of the dead. The Master said: "While you are not able to serve men, how can you serve their spirits?" Jilu added: "I venture to ask about death." He was answered: "While you do not know life, how can you know about death?"
James Legge, 1861
The commentators split two ways on 生 → Passage of the day · Analects 5.10
宰予晝寢。子曰：「朽木不可雕也，糞土之牆不可杇也，於予與何誅。」子曰：「始吾於人也，聽其言而信其行；今吾於人也，聽其言而觀其行。於予與改是。」
Zai Yu being asleep during the daytime, the Master said: "Rotten wood cannot be carved; a wall of dirty earth will not receive the trowel. This Yu! — what is the use of my reproving him?" The Master said: "At first, my way with men was to hear their words, and give them credit for their conduct. Now my way is to hear their words, and look at their conduct. It is from Yu that I have learned to make this change."
James Legge, 1861
The commentators split three ways on 晝寢 → Passage of the day · Analects 17.25
子曰：「唯女子與小人為難養也，近之則不孫，遠之則怨。」
The Master said: "Of all people, girls and servants are the most difficult to behave to. If you are familiar with them, they lose their humility. If you maintain a reserve towards them, they are discontented."
James Legge, 1861
The commentators split two ways on this line → Passage of the day · Analects 17.2
子曰：「性相近也，習相遠也。」
The Master said: "By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart."
James Legge, 1861
The commentators split three ways on 性 → Passage of the day · Analects 14.24
子曰：「古之學者為己，今之學者為人。」
The Master said: "In ancient times, men learned with a view to their own improvement. Nowadays, men learn with a view to the approbation of others."
James Legge, 1861
The commentators split three ways on this line → Passage of the day · Analects 1.4
曾子曰：「吾日三省吾身：為人謀而不忠乎？與朋友交而不信乎？傳不習乎？」
The philosopher Zeng said: "I daily examine myself on three points: — whether, in transacting business for others, I may have been not faithful; — whether, in intercourse with friends, I may have been not sincere; — whether I may have not mastered and practiced the instructions of my teacher."
James Legge, 1861
The commentators split two ways on 傳 → Passage of the day · Analects 2.11
子曰：「溫故而知新，可以為師矣。」
The Master said: "If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others."
James Legge, 1861
The commentators split two ways on 為師 → Passage of the day · Analects 8.9
子曰：「民可使由之，不可使知之。」
The Master said: "The people may be made to follow a path of action, but they may not be made to understand it."
James Legge, 1861
The commentators split two ways on 之 → Passage of the day · Analects 1.8
子曰：「君子不重則不威，學則不固。主忠信，無友不如己者，過則勿憚改。」
The Master said: "If the scholar be not grave, he will not call forth any veneration, and his learning will not be solid. Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. Have no friends not equal to yourself. When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them."
James Legge, 1861
The commentators split two ways on 不如 → 
When Heaven Sends Orders Confucius rarely spoke of Heaven's orders. At the window of a dying disciple, they were all he had left to say. Play episode 28
