與
Usages
3 distinct jobs 與 does in the Analects, each with examples from the text.
1Conjunction (and)
Connects nouns and noun phrases, meaning "and."
子貢曰：「夫子之文章，可得而聞也；夫子之言性與天道，不可得而聞也。」
Zigong said: "The Master's personal displays of his principles and ordinary descriptions of them may be heard. His discourses about man's nature, and the way of Heaven, cannot be heard."
Legge 1861
夫子之言性與天道
與 joins two nouns.
子曰：「富與貴是人之所欲也，不以其道得之，不處也；貧與賤是人之所惡也，不以其道得之，不去也。君子去仁，惡乎成名？君子無終食之間違仁，造次必於是，顛沛必於是。」
The Master said: "Riches and honors are what men desire. If it cannot be obtained in the proper way, they should not be held. Poverty and meanness are what men dislike. If it cannot be avoided in the proper way, they should not be avoided. If a superior man abandon virtue, how can he fulfill the requirements of that name? The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves to it."
Legge 1861
富與貴是人之所欲也
與 connects two nouns
子曰：「富與貴是人之所欲也，不以其道得之，不處也；貧與賤是人之所惡也，不以其道得之，不去也。君子去仁，惡乎成名？君子無終食之間違仁，造次必於是，顛沛必於是。」
The Master said: "Riches and honors are what men desire. If it cannot be obtained in the proper way, they should not be held. Poverty and meanness are what men dislike. If it cannot be avoided in the proper way, they should not be avoided. If a superior man abandon virtue, how can he fulfill the requirements of that name? The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves to it."
Legge 1861
貧與賤是人之所惡也
The matching half of 富與貴.
2Preposition (with)
Indicates accompaniment or association.
顏淵、季路侍。子曰：「盍各言爾志？」子路曰：「願車馬、衣輕裘，與朋友共。敝之而無憾。」顏淵曰：「願無伐善，無施勞。」子路曰：「願聞子之志。」子曰：「老者安之，朋友信之，少者懷之。」
Yan Yuan and Zilu being by his side, the Master said to them: "Come, let each of you tell his wishes." Zilu said: "I should like, having chariots and horses, and light fur dresses, to share them with my friends, and though they should spoil them, I would not be displeased." Yan Yuan said: "I should like not to boast of my excellence, nor to make a display of my meritorious deeds." Zilu then said: "I should like, sir, to hear your wishes." The Master said: "They are, in regard to the aged, to give them rest; in regard to friends, to show them sincerity; in regard to the young, to treat them tenderly."
Legge 1861
與朋友共
The plain prepositional use.
長沮、桀溺耦而耕，孔子過之，使子路問津焉。長沮曰：「夫執輿者為誰？」子路曰：「為孔丘。」曰：「是魯孔丘與？」曰：「是也。」曰：「是知津矣。」問於桀溺，桀溺曰：「子為誰？」曰：「為仲由。」曰：「是魯孔丘之徒與？」對曰：「然。」曰：「滔滔者天下皆是也，而誰以易之？且而與其從辟人之士也，豈若從辟世之士哉？」耰而不輟。子路行以告。夫子憮然曰：「鳥獸不可與同群，吾非斯人之徒與而誰與？天下有道，丘不與易也。」
Changju and Jieni were at work in the field together, when Confucius passed by them, and sent Zilu to inquire for the ford. Changju said: "Who is he that holds the reins in the carriage there?" Zilu told him: "It is Kong Qiu." "Is it not Kong Qiu of Lu?" asked he. "Yes," was the reply, to which the other added: "He knows the ford." Zilu then inquired of Jieni, who said to him: "Who are you, sir?" He answered: "I am Zhongyou." "Are you not the disciple of Kong Qiu of Lu?" asked the other. "I am," replied he, and then Jieni said to him: "Disorder, like a swelling flood, spreads over the whole empire, and who is he that will change it for you? Than follow one who merely withdraws from this one and that one, had you not better follow those who have withdrawn from the world altogether?" With this he fell to covering up the seed, and proceeded with his work, without stopping. Zilu went and reported their remarks, when the Master observed with a sigh: "It is impossible to associate with birds and beasts, as if they were the same with us. If I associate not with these people — with mankind — with whom shall I associate? If right principles prevailed through the empire, there would be no use for me to change its state."
Legge 1861
鳥獸不可與同群
與 governs the company kept.
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."
Legge 1861
與朋友交而不信乎
與 = with
3Question particle (yú)
At the end of a sentence (pronounced yú), marks a question with softer, more conjectural tone than 乎.
大宰問於子貢曰：「夫子聖者與？何其多能也？」子貢曰：「固天縱之將聖，又多能也。」子聞之，曰：「大宰知我乎！吾少也賤，故多能鄙事。君子多乎哉？不多也。」
A high officer asked Zigong, saying: "May we not say that your Master is a sage? How various is his ability!" Zigong said: "Certainly Heaven has endowed him unlimitedly; — He is about a sage. And, moreover, his ability is various." The Master heard of the conversation and said: "Does the high officer know me? When I was young, my condition was low, and therefore I acquired my ability in many things, but they were mean matters. Must the superior man have such variety of ability? He does not need variety of ability.
Legge 1861
夫子聖者與
Sentence-final 與, read yú.
子禽問於子貢曰：「夫子至於是邦也，必聞其政，求之與？抑與之與？」子貢曰：「夫子溫、良、恭、儉、讓以得之。夫子之求之也，其諸異乎人之求之與？」
Ziqin asked Zigong, saying: "When our master comes to any country, he does not fail to learn all about its government. Does he ask his information? or is it given to him?" Zigong said: "Our master is benign, upright, courteous, temperate, and complaisant, and thus he gets his information. The master's mode of asking information! — is it not different from that of other men?"
Legge 1861
求之與？抑與之與？
與 marks each alternative question
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
其為仁之本與
與 (yú) marks a rhetorical question
Combos
3 fixed patterns built on 與, with the role each plays and where to read them.
Questioning identification
15.14 子曰：「臧文仲其竊位者與？知柳下惠之賢，而不與立也。」
者 nominalizes; 與 (=歟) questions. "Is it that...?"
"Can...with" / "Suitable to share with"
9.30 子曰：「可與共學，未可與適道；可與適道，未可與立；可與立，未可與權。」
Indicates suitability for companionship or sharing.
"Rather than..." / "Compared to..."
7.36 子曰：「奢則不孫，儉則固。與其不孫也，寧固。」
Introduces a comparison, often with 寧 (would rather) following.