Usages
3 distinct jobs 也 does in the Analects, each with examples from the text.
1Pause marker (after topics)
Marks the preceding phrase as the topic of discussion, similar to a comma. Often appears after subjects or time expressions.
柴也愚，參也魯，師也辟，由也喭。
Chai is simple. Shen is dull. Shi is specious. Yu is coarse.
Legge 1861
也 after names creates contrast: "as for Chai... as for Shen..."
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."
Legge 1861
也 closes the topic and leaves the sentence open.
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?"
Legge 1861
也 marks 其為人 as the topic: "as for his character..."
2Declarative marker (A者B也)
Marks equational statements in the "A is B" pattern. The 也 does not replace the copula but indicates the statement is a definition or judgment.
子入大廟，每事問。或曰：「孰謂鄹人之子知禮乎？入大廟，每事問。」子聞之曰：「是禮也。」
The Master, when he entered the grand temple, asked about everything. Some one said: "Who will say that the son of the man of Zou knows the rules of propriety! He has entered the grand temple and asks about everything." The Master heard the remark, and said: "This is a rule of propriety."
Legge 1861
也 closes a bare identification.
季康子問政於孔子。孔子對曰：「政者，正也。子帥以正，孰敢不正？」
Ji Kang asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied: "To govern means to rectify. If you lead on the people with correctness, who will dare not to be correct?"
Legge 1861
The 者⋯也 frame: topic named, then defined.
子曰：「由！誨女知之乎？知之為知之，不知為不知，是知也。」
The Master said: "Yu, shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to acknowledge that you do not know it; — this is knowledge."
Legge 1861
也 marks the conclusion as a definition
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?"
Legge 1861
也者 emphasizes the topic
3Explanation marker (是以...也)
Often appears at the end of sentences giving reasons or explanations, with a force of "you see" or "that's why".
1. 樂 : 或作「樂道」。《知不足齋叢書》本、《古逸叢書》本《論語集解》作「樂道」。
The Master said: "I will not be afflicted at men's not knowing me; I will be afflicted that I do not know men."
Legge 1861
也 closes the reason offered.
王孫賈問曰：「與其媚於奧，寧媚於竈，何謂也？」子曰：「不然，獲罪於天，無所禱也。」
Wangsun Jia asked, saying: "What is the meaning of the saying, 'It is better to pay court to the furnace than to the south-west corner?'" The Master said: "Not so. He who offends against Heaven has none to whom he can pray."
Legge 1861
也 closes the reason just given.
子貢問曰：「孔文子何以謂之文也？」子曰：「敏而好學，不恥下問，是以謂之文也。」
Zigong asked, saying: "On what ground did Gongwen get that title of Wen?" The Master said: "He was of an active nature and yet fond of learning, and he was not ashamed to ask and learn of his inferiors! — On these grounds he has been styled Wen."
Legge 1861
是以...也 = "that's why..."
Combos
3 fixed patterns built on 也, with the role each plays and where to read them.
Emphatic sentence ending
Combination of two sentence-final particles for emphasis.
Marks definition or identification
者 nominalizes; 也 confirms. "X者Y也" = "X is Y."
"If it must be..." / "Surely..."
Introduces a necessary condition or emphatic statement.