Book 2: 《為政》 Wei Zheng (Governance)
《為政》 Passage 2.13
子貢問君子。子曰：「先行其言，而後從之。」
Legge Translation (1861)
Zigong asked what constituted the superior man. The Master said: "He acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions."Word by word
- 子貢 zǐ gòng
Zigong (disciple of Confucius)
- 子 prefix of a courtesy name, as in 子路 and 子貢; not the title Master
- 貢 used here as a personal-name syllable; literally tribute, gift
- 問 wèn
to ask about, inquire
- 君子 jūn zǐ
exemplary person, gentleman
- 君 lord, ruler; 君子 is literally a lord's son
- 子 son; 君子 is literally a lord's son, one of the ruling class, which the Analects makes a term of character
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 the Master, honorific title for Confucius
- 曰 to say, said
- 先 xiān
first, beforehand
- 行 xíng
to carry out, put into practice
- 其 qí
his, their (third-person possessive pronoun)
- 言 yán
words, what one says
- 而後 ér hòu
and only then, afterward
- 而 conjunctive particle: and, and then
- 後 after, afterward, later
- 從 cóng
to follow, come after: his words follow his deeds
- 之 zhī
it, that (referring back to one's prior action or words)
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