| Chinese Text Project | |
| Simplified Chinese version |
| 曾子曰： | The disciple Zeng said, |
| “甚哉，孝之大也！” | "Immense indeed is the greatness of filial piety!" |
| 子曰： | The Master replied, |
| “夫孝，天之经也， | "Yes, filial piety is the constant (method) of Heaven, |
| 地之义也， | the righteousness of Earth, |
| 民之行也。 | and the practical duty of Man. |
| 天地之经， | Heaven and earth invariably pursue the course (that may be thus described), |
| 而民是则之。 | and the people take it as their pattern. |
| 则天之明， | (The ancient kings) imitated the brilliant luminaries of heaven |
| 因地之利， | and acted in accordance with the (varying) advantages afforded by earth, |
| 以顺天下。 | so that they were in accord with all under heaven, |
| 是以其教不肃而成， | and in consequence their teachings, without being severe, were successful, |
| 其政不严而治。 | and their government, without being rigorous, secured perfect order. |
| 先王见教之可以化民也， | The ancient kings, seeing how their teachings could transform the people, |
| 是故先之以博爱， | set before them therefore an example of the most extended love, |
| 而民莫遗其亲， | and none of the people neglected their parents. |
| 陈之德义， | They set forth to them (the nature of) virtue and righteousness, |
| 而民兴行。 | and the people roused themselves to the practice of them. |
| 先之以敬让， | They went before them with reverence and yielding courtesy, |
| 而民不争； | and the people had no contentions. |
| 导之以礼乐， | They led them on by the rules of propriety and by music, |
| 而民和睦； | and the people were harmonious and benignant. |
| 示之以好恶， | They showed them what they loved and what they disliked, |
| 而民知禁。 | and the people understood their prohibitions. |
| 《诗》云： | It is said in the Book of Poetry: |
| ‘赫赫师尹， | Awe-inspiring are you, O Grand-Master Yin, |
| 民具尔瞻。’” | And the people all look up to you." |
| Character | Composition | Variants | Reading | Meaning | Hanyu | Kangxi | Cihai |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 曾子 | 曰+8 子+0 | 曽 㜽 𢀈 𢀉 𡐫 𣕓 只 | zēng zǐ ㄗㄥ ㄗˇ | Same as “曾参” zēng shēn ㄗㄥ ㄕㄣ: 姓曾，名参（shēn），字子舆，孔子的学生。 Zeng Shen, a student of Confucius. | v2,p1521#03 v2,p1006#06 | p.503#03 p.277#01 | p.653r1c01 p.395r1c01 |
| 曰 | 曰+0 | yuē ㄩㄝ | (1) 说。 Say, speak. | v2,p1482#02 | p.502#01 | p.648r3c03 | |
| 甚 | 甘+4 | 什 𠯕 𥱅 | shén shí shèn ㄕㄣˊ ㄕˊ ㄕㄣˋ | great extent; considerably | v1,p0025#05 | p.754#06 | p.906r4c01 |
| 哉 | 口+6 | 才 | zāi ㄗㄞ | Begin, start. / Modal particle expressing exclamation. / Modal particle expressing questioning or a rhetorical question. | v1,p0611#07 | p.189#08 | p.270r2c01 |
| 孝 | 子+4 | xiào ㄒㄧㄠˋ | filial piety, obedience; mourning | v2,p1011#04 | p.278#11 | p.398r5c03 | |
| 之 | 丿+3 | 㞢 | zhī ㄓ | Towards; go to. / Demonstrative pronoun: this, these. / Third person pronoun: him, her, it. / Auxiliary word: of. / Auxiliary word: used between subject and predicate, cancels independence of a clause. / Auxiliary word: used in a sentence for aesthetic purpose only, no meaning. | v1,p0043#01 | p.82#04 | p.47r2c02 |
| 大 | 大+0 | 𠘲 | dà ㄉㄚˋ | Large, great. / Exceed, be greater than. / Venerate, treat as being great. / Many. / Thick, coarse. / Elder. / Respectful term of address. / Adverb expressing high level or broad range. | v1,p0520#01 | p.248#01 | p.342r3c03 |
| tài ㄊㄞˋ | Most (superlative). / Too much. / Peaceful, tranquil. | ||||||
| 也 | 乙+2 | 𠃟 匜 | yě ㄧㄝˇ | Modal particle used at the end of a sentence, expressing assertion and affirmation. / Modal particle used at the end of a question for emphasis. / Modal particle used at the end of a cause-effect sentence to express explanation. / Modal particle used in the middle of a sentence to express a pause. | v1,p0050#05 | p.84#04 | p.55r1c01 |
| 子 | 子+0 | 㜽 𢀈 𢀉 𡐫 𣕓 只 | zǐ ㄗˇ | (2.1) 古代对男子的美称。也用以尊称对方。 Respectful term for a man. | v2,p1006#06 | p.277#01 | p.395r1c01 |
| 夫 | 大+1 | fū ㄈㄨ | General term for adult men. / Adult labourers in particular. / Soldier. / Respectful term for a man. / Husband. / Unit of area equal to one hundred mu. | v1,p0521#01 | p.248#11 | p.367r2c01 | |
| fú ㄈㄨˊ | Demonstrative pronoun: this, these. / Modal particle used at the start of a sentence for emphasis or to indicate an assertion. / Modal particle used in the middle of a sentence to soften the tone. / Modal particle used at the end of a sentence to express exclamation. | ||||||
| 天 | 大+1 | 𠀡 𠀘 𦴞 兲 靝 𠕹 | tiān ㄊㄧㄢ | sky, heaven; god, celestial | v1,p0522#01 | p.248#04 | p.358r4c01 |
| 经 | 糸+7 | 経 𦀇 𤔕 坕 经 | jīng jìng ㄐㄧㄥ ㄐㄧㄥˋ | classic works; pass through | v5,p3402#11 | p.925#24 | p.1045r5c01 |
| 地 | 土+3 | 埊 𨻐 埅 𠏂 嶳 | dì de ㄉㄧˋ ㄉㄜ· | earth; soil, ground; region | v1,p0420#12 | p.224#06 | p.312r6c01 |
| 义 | 羊+7 | 义 | yì ㄧˋ | right conduct, righteousness | v5,p3133#02 | p.952#32 | p.1071r3c01 |
| 民 | 氏+1 | 𠘽 | mín ㄇㄧㄣˊ | people, subjects, citizens | v3,p2131#01 | p.598#01 | p.750r3c01 |
| 行 | 行+0 | 行 | xíng ㄒㄧㄥˊ | Walk, move (on foot). / Advance, move forward. / Leave, exit. / Patrol, go on inspection. / Inspection of the realm by the Son of Heaven. / Be married off. / Flow, circulate. / Channel, guide. / Revolution, circular motion. / Experience. / Luggage, belongings taken on a journey. / Do, carry out. / Actions. / Accomplishments. / Use, utilize. / Take over (an official duty). / Offer, present. / Moral conduct, behaviour. / A type of classical poem. / A piece of music. / Semi-cursive script. / Adverb: will, about to. / Adverb: again, once more. / Adverb: by chance, luckily. / Ambassador (official title). / Measure word for number of pourings of drinks. | v2,p0811#06 | p.1108#31 | p.1203r5c05 |
| háng ㄏㄤˊ | Road. / Track, pattern. / Row, line. / Row of soldiers in battle. / Unit of 25 soldiers. / Shaft of a feather (and by extension, wings). / Measure word for things which form rows. / Rank, position. | ||||||
| 而 | 而+0 | ér ㄦˊ | Whiskers. / Like, similar to. / Pronoun: you. / Pronoun: this, like this. / Connective: and, with. / Connective: and, then. / Connective: if, supposing. / Connective: yet, however. / Connective: therefore, hence. / Connective: expresses method or state. / Particle: of. / Expressive particle. | v4,p2810#01 | p.961#18 | p.1080r2c03 | |
| néng ㄋㄥˊ | Same as “能(3)” néng ㄋㄥˊ: Able to, competent. / Same as “能(2.1)” néng ㄋㄥˊ: Ability, talent. | ||||||
| 是 | 日+5 | 昰 𣆞 | shì ㄕˋ | Straight. / Right, correct. / Believe accurate, affirm. / Demonstrative pronoun: this. / Be (copula). / Auxiliary word, used after moving forward the object. | v2,p1497#05 | p.493#26 | p.639r1c01 |
| 则 | 刀+7 | 𠟻 𠟭 𠞋 𠟔 则 | zé ㄗㄜˊ | Method, rule. / Mimic, emulate. / Level, grade. / Adverb used to emphasize an assertion. / Adverb used to express scope: only. / Connective expressing continuation: then, and then. / Connective emphasizing comparison. / Connective expressing contrast. / Connective expressing allowance: yet, even so. / Connective expressing unexpected turn of events. / Connective expressing suppostion: if. | v1,p0340#06 | p.139#31 | p.183r5c05 |
| 明 | 日+4 | 朙 | míng ㄇㄧㄥˊ | Bright, brilliant. / Daytime. / Clear, obvious. / Clarify, make clear. / Understand. / Straightforwardly, clearly. / Clear, clean. / Wise. / Make wise. / Spirit, god. / Respect. / Eyesight. / Good eyesight. / See clearly. / The following (day, month, year, etc.). | v2,p1491#08 | p.491#12 | p.631r3c01 |
| 因 | 囗+3 | 囙 𤇀 | yīn ㄧㄣ | cause, reason; by; because (of) | v1,p0711#09 | p.217#02 | |
| 利 | 刀+5 | 利 𥝢 𥝤 | lì ㄌㄧˋ | Sharp. / Fast, speedy. / Favourable, lucky. / Convenient, useful. / Profits, benefits. / Beneficial to, good for. / Profit, interest. / Diarrhea. | v1,p0329#02 | p.138#19 | p.180r2c02 |
| 以 | 人+3 | 㠯 | yǐ ㄧˇ | Use. / Believe. / Command. / Lead. / Connect, implicate. / Have. / Cause, reason. / Preposition: because. / Preposition: from, in. / Preposition: at [some time]. / Preposition: using. / Preposition: in accordance with. / Preposition: relying upon. / Preposition: in the capacity of. / Preposition: with, together with. / Connective: indicates the following action is the objective of the preceding one. / Connective: used between adverbial clause and verb to express modification. / Connective: and. / Connective: but. / Connective: and so, thus. / Particle: used together with some words expressing direction and time. / Modal particle. / Same as “已(1)” yǐ ㄧˇ: Stop, discontinue. / Same as “已(7.2)” yǐ ㄧˇ: Adverb: already. / Same as “已(7.3)” yǐ ㄧˇ: Adverb: extremely. | v1,p0105#07 | p.94#01 | p.87r6c01 |
| 顺 | 页+3 | 㥧 巡 𠈼 顺 | shùn ㄕㄨㄣˋ | obey, submit to, go along with | v7,p4357#05 | p.1399#17 | p.1475r3c01 |
| 天下 | 大+1 一+2 | 𠀡 𠀘 𦴞 兲 靝 𠕹 丅 厥 𠄟 | tiān xià ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ | 世界。 "All under heaven", the world. | v1,p0522#01 v1,p0007#01 | p.248#04 p.76#10 | p.358r4c01 p.28r1c01 |
| 其 | 八+6 | 丌 亓 | qí ㄑㄧˊ | Third-person possessive pronoun: his, her, its, their. / Demonstrative pronoun: that, those. / Adverb expressing estimation or guess. / Adverb expressing imperative. / Adverb expressing rhetorical question. / Adverb expressing future tense. / Connective expressing hypothesis: if, supposing. / Connective expressing choice: or. / Connective expressing concession: even if. / Particle used after an adjective. / Particle: of. / Particle used for emphasis after single-character adjectives or onomatopoeia. / Particle used in the middle of a sentence to alter the tempo. | v1,p0245#01 | p.127#18 | p.162r5c01 |
| jì ㄐㄧˋ | Particle used after bi and he. | ||||||
| jī ㄐㄧ | Modal particle expressing interrogative tone. / A year. | ||||||
| 教 | 攴+7 | 敎 | jiào jiāo ㄐㄧㄠˋ ㄐㄧㄠ | teach, class | v2,p1459#09 | p.472#05 | |
| 不 | 一+3 | 不 𠀚 𠙐 | bù ㄅㄨˋ | Not have. / To not be. / Negational adverb, used before verbs, adjectives, etc. to indicate negation. / Negational adverb expressing prohibition: do not. / Negational adverb expressing rhetorical question: is not...? | v1,p0011#06 | p.76#15 | p.30r1c01 |
| fǒu ㄈㄡˇ | Same as “否(1.2)” fǒu ㄈㄡˇ: Adverb used together with an affirmative word, expressing its negative or opposite. / Same as “否(1.3)” fǒu ㄈㄡˇ: Adverb used at the end of a question to form a yes-no question. | ||||||
| fū ㄈㄨ | Sepal of a flower. | ||||||
| pī ㄆㄧ | Same as “丕(1)” pī ㄆㄧ: Large. | ||||||
| bǐ ㄅㄧˇ | Show disdain for. | ||||||
| 肃 | 聿+7 | 粛 𦘡 䏋 𢙻 肃 | sù ㄙㄨˋ | Respectfully usher in. / Respect, respectful. / Bow deeply. / Solemn, grave. / Severe, harsh. / Upright. / Fade, wither. / Quick, fast. | v5,p3169#04 | p.971#11 | p.1087r4c02 |
| 成 | 戈+2 | 𢦩 | chéng ㄔㄥˊ | completed, finished, fixed | v2,p1399#01 | p.411#11 | |
| 政 | 攴+4 | zhèng zhēng ㄓㄥˋ ㄓㄥ | government, political affairs | v2,p1453#03 | p.469#06 | p.601r2c01 | |
| 严 | 口+17 | 厳 𡅾 严 | yán ㄧㄢˊ | strict, rigorous, rigid; stern | v1,p0702#02 | p.214#07 | p.293r3c05 |
| 治 | 水+5 | 乿 | zhì ㄓˋ | Rule, administer. / Well ruled, peaceful and orderly. / Punish, execute. / Cure, treat (an illness). / Prepare. / Construct. / Research, study. | v3,p1599#06 | p.614#07 | p.776r5c02 |
| 先 | 儿+4 | xiān ㄒㄧㄢ | first, former, previous | v1,p0267#02 | p.124#05 | p.134r3c02 | |
| 王 | 玉+0 | wáng ㄨㄤˊ | (1.1) 夏商周三代的最高统治者。 King, title of supreme ruler of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. | v2,p1099#10 | p.727#02 | p.888r1c02 | |
| 见 | 见+0 | 现 见 | jiàn ㄐㄧㄢˋ | See, catch sight of. / Feel, perceive. / Meet, come across. / Meet with, see. / Meet in battle. / Go to see. / Have come to see, have visit. / Grant an interview. / Recommend, introduce. / Introduce, present. / Hear. / Know, understand. / Experience, insight. / Intent, plan. / Used before a verb to indicate passive tense. / Used before a verb to indicate one is the receipient of anothers actions. / Particle used after a verb to indicate simultaneous action. / Coffin clothes. / Mix, mingle. | v6,p3663#01 | p.1133#01 | p.1229r1c01 |
| xiàn ㄒㄧㄢˋ | Appear, become visible. / Manifest, make evident. / Now, at present. / Existing, ready prepared. | ||||||
| 可 | 口+2 | 歌 厥 | kě kè ㄎㄜˇ ㄎㄜˋ | may, can, -able; possibly | v1,p0567#07 | p.172#12 | p.244r1c02 |
| 化 | 匕+2 | 𠤎 𠯒 𠏁 | huà huā ㄏㄨㄚˋ ㄏㄨㄚ | change, convert, reform; -ize | v1,p0109#04 | p.152#20 | p.201r6c02 |
| 故 | 攴+5 | gù ㄍㄨˋ | Cause. / State of affairs. / Event, incident. / Plot. / Old. / Past, original. / Death. / On purpose. / Originally. / Hence, thus. | v2,p1453#05 | p.469#25 | p.601r5c01 | |
| 博 | 十+10 | 愽 | bó ㄅㄛˊ | gamble, play games; wide, broad | v1,p0066#02 | p.157#13 | p.222r4c02 |
| 爱 | 心+9 | 𤔤 𢟪 𢛭 爱 | ài ㄞˋ | love, be fond of, like | v4,p2323#01 | p.395#13 | p.538r1c01 |
| 莫 | 草+7 | 𦮅 䒬 𦱴 | mò mù ㄇㄛˋ ㄇㄨˋ | do not, is not, can not; negative | v5,p3217#15 | p.1035#13 | p.1141r3c03 |
| 遗 | 辵+12 | 𨗮 𨖽 𨗭 遗 | yí ㄧˊ | Lose, misplace. / Thing which has been lost or misplaced. / Omit, leave out. / Thing which has been omitted or left out. / Abandon, neglect. / Excrement. / Leave behind. / Things or people left behind. / Cause, invite. | v6,p3882#07 | p.1265#18 | p.1332r4c01 |
| wèi ㄨㄟˋ | Give, present. / Send, deliver (a message). | ||||||
| 亲 | 见+9 | 𢈥 寴 𡩁 亲 | qīn ㄑㄧㄣ | Parents. / Relatives. / Love, favour. / Close, intimate. / Contact, touch. / Personally. / Do oneself. | v6,p3671#12 | p.1136#12 | p.1230r5c04 |
| 陈 | 阜+8 | 𨸬 軙 敶 阵 陈 | chén zhèn ㄔㄣˊ ㄓㄣˋ | exhibit, display; plead; surname | v6,p4136#01 | p.1353#19 | p.1424r5c01 |
| 德 | 彳+12 | 惪 悳 | dé ㄉㄜˊ | Morals, morality. / Good deeds. / Good fortune. / Reward kindness, thank. / Heart, feelings. / Same as “得(1.1)” dé ㄉㄜˊ: Get, obtain. | v2,p0841#17 | p.371#08 | p.518r3c01 |
| 兴 | 臼+9 | 㒷 兴 | xīng ㄒㄧㄥ | Get up, arise. / Rise up, appear. / Create. / Establish, set up. / Advocate. / Move, start moving, raise (an army). / Do. / Select, pick out. / Collect. / Flourish, prosper. | v1,p0253#09 | p.1005#05 | p.1113r4c01 |
| xìng ㄒㄧㄥˋ | Like, appreciate. / Metaphor. / One of the six literary styles in the Book of Poetry. | ||||||
| 敬 | 攴+9 | 𣀖 𢿩 | jìng ㄐㄧㄥˋ | respect, honor; respectfully | v2,p1466#02 | p.473#35 | p.606r5c02 |
| 让 | 言+17 | 𦦬 让 | ràng ㄖㄤˋ | allow, permit, yield, concede | v6,p4032#07 | p.1187#12 | p.1259r3c01 |
| 争 | 爪+4 | 争 𠫩 𠄙 | zhēng zhèng ㄓㄥ ㄓㄥˋ | to dispute, fight, contend, strive | v3,p2031#03 | p.688#33 | p.863r1c01 |
| 导 | 寸+12 | 𡭎 导 | dǎo dào ㄉㄠˇ ㄉㄠˋ | direct, guide, lead, conduct | v1,p0512#05 | p.296#10 | p.537r6c02 |
| 礼 | 示+13 | 禮 礼 𠃞 𤔑 礼 | lǐ ㄌㄧˇ | social custom; manners; courtesy; rites | v4,p2409#14 | p.847#07 | p.985r2c04 |
| 乐 | 木+11 | 樂 乐 | yuè ㄩㄝˋ | Music. / Perform, play music. / Musical instrument. / The (now lost) classic of music. / Musician. / Yue, a surname. | v2,p1280#16 | p.548#20 | p.715r4c03 |
| lè ㄌㄜˋ | Happiness. / Make happy. / Fondness for, liking of. / Happy to, willing to. / Tranquil, contented. / Music and debauchery. / Le, a surname. | ||||||
| 和 | 口+5 | 和 咊 惒 | hé huò huó hè ㄏㄜˊ ㄏㄨㄛˋ ㄏㄨㄛˊ ㄏㄜˋ | harmony, peace; peaceful, calm | v1,p0602#01 | p.185#01 | p.267r3c01 |
| 睦 | 目+8 | 𡻲 | mù ㄇㄨˋ | friendly, amiable, peaceful | v4,p2494#04 | p.811#03 | p.952r4c02 |
| 示 | 示+0 | 𥘅 礻 | shì qī zhì shí ㄕˋ ㄑㄧ ㄓˋ ㄕˊ | show, manifest; demonstrate | v4,p2385#01 | p.839#20 | p.975r3c08 |
| 好 | 女+3 | 𡥆 𡚽 𩐔 | hǎo ㄏㄠˇ | Attractive appearance. / Wonderful, beautiful. / Healthy, fit. / Excellent. / Harmonious. / Complete. / In order to. / Adverb: very. / Adverb: many or long. | v2,p1028#01 | p.255#11 | p.378r1c03 |
| hào ㄏㄠˋ | Like, find pleasing. / Hole in a piece of jade or a coin.. | ||||||
| 恶 | 心+8 | 惡 亚 僫 恶 | è ㄜˋ | Evil. / Bad, not good. / Bad person. / Harm. / Vicious. / Turgid, fierce. / Ugly. / A poor harvest. / Disease, illness. / Uncomfortable, unhappy. / Dirt. / Excrement. | v4,p2307#12 | p.391#25 | p.535r4c01 |
| wù ㄨˋ | Hate. / Shame. / Avoid. / Slander, attack. | ||||||
| wū ㄨ | Interrogative pronoun: how, what. / Exclamation. | ||||||
| 知 | 矢+3 | 𢇻 𥎿 | zhī ㄓ | Know, understand. / Perception. / Recognize. / Knowledge. / Know about, make sense of. / Be friendly with. / Control, get on top of. | v4,p2581#02 | p.824#01 | p.955r5c02 |
| zhì ㄓˋ | Wisdom. | ||||||
| 禁 | 示+8 | jìn jīn ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄐㄧㄣ | restrict, prohibit, forbid | v4,p2400#04 | p.844#10 | p.982r5c01 | |
| 诗 | 言+6 | 𧥳 诗 | shī ㄕ | poetry; poem, verse, ode | v6,p3961#05 | p.1157#15 | p.1242r5c03 |
| 云 | 二+2 | 员 云 | yún ㄩㄣˊ | (2) 说。 Say, speak. | v1,p0384#02 | p.86#08 | p.63r6c02 |
| 赫 | 赤+7 | 焃 | hè xì shì ㄏㄜˋ ㄒㄧˋ ㄕˋ | bright, radiant, glowing | v5,p3508#04 | p.1214#12 | p.1282r4c09 |
| 师 | 巾+7 | 𠵀 𠦵 𢂖 𩇱 师 | shī ㄕ | Unit of 2500 soldiers. / Troops in general. / The masses. / Teacher. / Take ... as one's teacher. / Model, example. / Follow, mimic, learn from. / Specialist, expert. / Official, chief. / Lion. | v1,p0740#02 | p.331#35 | p.475r3c05 |
| 尹 | 丿+3 | 𢃵 𢃹 𢃁 𢃂 | yǐn ㄧㄣˇ | govern; oversee; director | v2,p0964#01 | p.299#27 | p.445r5c01 |
| 具 | 八+6 | jù ㄐㄩˋ | tool, implement; draw up, write | v1,p0246#04 | p.128#01 | p.162r5c02 | |
| 尔 | 爻+10 | 尔 尔 | ěr ㄦˇ | Second person pronoun: you. / Luxuriant growth of flowers. / Close, near. / Simple, easily understood. / Like this, in this way. / This, that. / Modal particle: merely. / Modal particle expressing statement. / Modal particle expressing affirmation. / Modal particle expressing questioning. / Suffix. | v1,p0027#01 | p.691#04 | p.864r6c01 |
| 瞻 | 目+13 | zhān ㄓㄢ | look; look out for; respect | v4,p2518#09 | p.818#36 | p.954r1c06 |
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