Chinese Text Project Dictionary

Daoism -> Zhuangzi -> Miscellaneous Chapters -> Metaphorical Language -> 4.2

生有為，	'Life has its work to do,
死也。	and death ensues,
勸公：	(as if) the common character of each were a thing prescribed.
以其死也，	Men consider that their death
有自也；	has its cause;
而生陽也，	but that life from (the operation of) the Yang
無自也。	has no cause.
而果然乎？	But is it really so?
惡乎其所適？	How does (the Yang) operate in this direction?
惡乎其所不適？	Why does it not operate there?
天有曆數，	Heaven has its places and spaces which can be calculated;
地有人據，	(the divisions of) the earth can be assigned bv men.
吾惡乎求之？	But how shall we search for and find out (the conditions of the Great Mystery)?
莫知其所終，	We do not know when and how (life) will end,
若之何其無命也？	but how shall we conclude that it is not determined (from without)?
莫知其所始，	and as we do not know when and how it begins,
若之何其有命也？	how should we conclude that it is not (so) determined?
有以相應也，	In regard to the issues of conduct which we deem appropriate,
若之何其無鬼邪？	how should we conclude that there are no spirits presiding over them;
無以相應也，	and where those issues seem inappropriate,
若之何其有鬼邪？」	how should we conclude that there are spirits presiding over them?'

Character	Composition	Variants	Reading	Meaning	Hanyu	Kangxi	Cihai
生	生+0	𤯓	shēng ㄕㄥ	life, living, lifetime; birth	v4,p2575#01	p.754#26	p.906r5c03
有	月+2		yǒu ㄧㄡˇ	Have, possess. / Store, collect. / Occupy. / Hold on to, retain. / Have in abundance. / Good harvest. / Obtain. / Only. / Be, exist. / Occur, happen. / Make. / Particle used before a noun with no meaning. / Particle used before a monosyllabic adjective with no meaning. / Particle used before a verb with no meaning. / Still, yet. / Some people. / Region.	v3,p2041#05	p.504#20	p.656r5c01
			yòu ㄧㄡˋ	Help, assist. / Same as 「又(3)」 yòu ㄧㄡˋ: Moreover.
為	火+5	爲为	wéi ㄨㄟˊ	Create, make. / Build, construct. / Do. / Plant, grow. / Govern. / Research, study. / Serve as. / Change into, become. / As, in the role of. / Count as, be considered as. / Called, named. / Expresses judgement: is. / Make, cause (to). / Have. / Take part in. / Write, author. / Connective: if. / Particle used in the middle of a sentence to move forward the object. / Modal particle used at the end of a sentence to express a rhetorical question.	v3,p2198#11	p.669#10	p.844r4c03
			wèi ㄨㄟˋ	Help, assist. / Preposition: for, on behalf of. / Preposition: by (passive). / Preposition: because of, due to. / Preposition: with, together with. / Connective: because. / Say. / False, fake.
死	歹+2	𠑾𣥴	sǐ ㄙˇ	die; dead; death	v2,p1380#06	p.578#22	p.740r6c06
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
勸	力+18	勧劝	quàn ㄑㄩㄢˋ	recommend, advise, urge	v1,p0382#18	p.150#12	p.200r1c04
公	八+2	㒶	gōng ㄍㄨㄥ	fair, equitable; public; duke	v1,p0242#01	p.126#28	p.151r3c01
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
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.
自	自+0	𦣹鼻	zì ㄗˋ	Oneself. / Begin, beginning. / From. / Originally. / Natural, naturally. / Supposing, if. / Even, even if.	v5,p3046#01	p.1000#07	p.1108r3c01
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.
陽	阜+9	昜阦氜阳𨹈𨼘𨽐𣆄	yáng ㄧㄤˊ	'male' principle; light; sun	v6,p4144#03	p.1355#15	p.1429r3c02
無	火+8	𣟒𣚨𠘩无橆	wú ㄨˊ	Not have. / Philosophical category referring to absence, non-existence, or vacuity. / Adverb expressing negation: not. / Adverb expressing questioning: or not. / Connective: regardless of. / Connective: even if. / Particle used at the beginning of a sentence, no meaning. / Do not. / Barren, uncultivated.	v3,p2211#15	p.673#26	p.848r2c04
果	木+4	菓	guǒ kè luǒ wǒ ㄍㄨㄛˇ ㄎㄜˋ ㄌㄨㄛˇ ㄨㄛˇ	fruit; result	v2,p1168#11	p.516#11	p.682r6c01
然	火+8	燃𤓉	rán ㄖㄢˊ	Burn. / Demonstrative pronoun: like this, like that. / Expresses affirmation: true, indeed so. / Believe correct, affirm. / Adverb: actually, thus. / Connective: but, however, yet. / Particle used at the end of a sentence to express comparison. Like, as if. / Particle used after an adjective or adverb to express state. / Particle used at the end of a sentence to express affirmative mode.	v3,p2213#05	p.675#12	p.852r5c01
乎	丿+4	虖	hū ㄏㄨ	(1.1) 語氣詞：表示疑問或反問，相當於「嗎」或「呢」。 Modal particle expressing questioning or a rhetorical question.	v1,p0036#08	p.82#07	p.47r3c03
惡	心+8	惡亞僫恶	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.
乎	丿+4	虖	hū ㄏㄨ	Modal particle expressing questioning or a rhetorical question. / Modal particle expressing admiration or exclamation. / Modal particle expressing estimation. / Modal particle expressing request or order. / Modal particle expressing calling. / Modal particle expressing consideration. / Modal particle expressing affirmation. / Particle used after adjectives. / Particle used in the middle of a sentence to express a pause. / Preposition: in, from, to.	v1,p0036#08	p.82#07	p.47r3c03
所	戶+4	𢨷	suǒ ㄙㄨㄛˇ	Place. / Location. / A suitable place or location. / Measure word, used for counting buldings. / Used before a verb, creates a noun-like phrase. / If. Mainly used in oaths and curses. / Used together with 為 to indicate the passive tense. / Indicates an approximate number. / Number, number of times. / Meaning.	v3,p2259#01	p.415#16	p.556r1c01
適	辵+11	适	shì ㄕˋ	Go to. / Be married off. / Suitable. / Alter to make suitable. / Satisfied. / Luckily, fortuitously. / Just, recently. / By chance. / Connective: by supposing.	v6,p3877#08	p.1263#34	p.1330r4c01
			dí ㄉㄧˊ	Official wife. / Son of ones official wife. / Center on, focus on. / Well matched, equal.
			zhé ㄓㄜˊ	Condemn, punish.
			tì ㄊㄧˋ	Scared, afraid.
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.
天	大+1	𠀡𠀘𦴞兲靝𠕹	tiān ㄊㄧㄢ	sky, heaven; god, celestial	v1,p0522#01	p.248#04	p.358r4c01
曆	日+12	𢍷厤歴歷历	lì ㄌㄧˋ	calendar, era	v2,p1536#02	p.500#10	p.646r5c04
數	攴+11	数	shù shǔ cù shuò ㄕㄨˋ ㄕㄨˇ ㄘㄨˋ ㄕㄨㄛˋ	number; several; count; fate	v2,p1474#01	p.475#04	p.607r4c01
地	土+3	埊𨻐埅𠏂嶳	dì de ㄉㄧˋ ㄉㄜ·	earth; soil, ground; region	v1,p0420#12	p.224#06	p.312r6c01
人	人+0	𠔽亻	rén ㄖㄣˊ	Man, person. / Others, other people. / The people, ordinary men. / Talent, material. / [A man's] character. / Affairs of men, world of man. / Benevolence.	v1,p0101#10	p.91#01	p.80r2c01
據	手+13	拠据	jù ㄐㄩˋ	to occupy, take possession of; a base	v3,p1967#15	p.459#12	p.595r1c01
吾	口+4	𠮣	wú ㄨˊ	First person pronoun: I, we. / Defend, resist.	v1,p0585#13	p.180#03	p.260r5c01
			yú ㄩˊ	See 吾吾.
			yá ㄧㄚˊ	Yunyu, an ancient district.
求	水+2	裘	qiú ㄑㄧㄡˊ	seek; demand, request; beseech	v3,p1547#08	p.604#04	p.763r3c02
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
莫	艸+7	𦮅䒬𦱴	mò mù ㄇㄛˋ ㄇㄨˋ	do not, is not, can not; negative	v5,p3217#15	p.1035#13	p.1141r3c03
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.
終	糸+5	𣊂𤽘𣧩𠔾𡦿𢍐𣈩𤽬夊终	zhōng ㄓㄨㄥ	end; finally, in the end	v5,p3384#05	p.921#01	p.1039r4c06
若	艸+5	若𦱡𦱶𧁇	ruò ㄖㄨㄛˋ	Iris. / Same as 「北海若」 běi hǎi ruò ㄅㄟˇ ㄏㄞˇ ㄖㄨㄛˋ: Ruo, a god of the Northern Sea. / Go by, accord with. / Choose. / Like, similar to. / Identical, the same. / As good as, comparable to. / To, arrive at. / You, your. / This way, like this. / Regarding, as regards. / If, should it be the case. / Or, alternatively. / But, yet. / Adjectival suffix.	v5,p3187#07	p.1023#12	p.1130r1c03
何	人+5		hé ㄏㄜˊ	Ask, enquire. / What. / Who, which one. / How, in what way. / Why, for what reason. / Where, in what place. / How much, to what extent.	v1,p0130#04	p.98#15	p.97r2c04
			hē ㄏㄜ	Criticize, condemn.
			hè ㄏㄜˋ	Carry on one's back. / Bear, carry a burden.
命	口+5		mìng ㄇㄧㄥˋ	Order, command. / Written order, commandment. / Send (on a mission), dispatch. / A (diplomatic) mission. / Force, make do. / Instruct, tell. / Gift given by a ruler to his ministers by rank. / Will of heaven. / Fate. / Life, lifespan. / Call, name, assign a name to. / Know for certain.	v1,p0604#11	p.183#18	p.266r6c01
始	女+5	𠃭乨兘𠙉	shǐ ㄕˇ	begin, start; then, only then	v2,p1041#12	p.258#16	p.381r1c02
相	目+4		xiāng ㄒㄧㄤ	Mutual. / In succession. / Together.	v4,p2470#13	p.800#18	p.945r1c01
			xiàng ㄒㄧㄤˋ	Watch. / Appearance. / Fortune-telling by appearance. / Help, assist. / Guide for the blind. / Prime minister, most senior minister. / Ceremonial officer.
應	心+13	応硬应	yīng yìng ㄧㄥㄧㄥˋ	should, ought to, must	v4,p2359#03	p.405#21	p.546r1c02
鬼	鬼+0	𩲡𢇼𣆠	guǐ ㄍㄨㄟˇ	ghost; spirit of dead; devil	v7,p4427#01	p.1460#30	p.1521r5c03
邪	邑+4	耶	yé ㄧㄝˊ	(7.1) 語氣詞：表示疑問或反詰。 Particle expressing questioning or a rhetorical question.	v6,p3758#04	p.1269#14	p.1336r5c01

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