| Chinese Text Project |
| 夫祭之為物大矣， | Sacrifice is the greatest of all things. |
| 其興物備矣。 | Its apparatus of things employed in it is complete, |
| 順以備者也， | but that completeness springs from all being in accordance with the requirements (of nature and reason) |
| 其教之本與？ | is it not this which enables us to find in it the basis of all the lessons of the sages? |
| 是故，君子之教也， | Therefore those lessons, |
| 外則教之以尊其君長， | in the external sphere, inculcated the honouring of the ruler and of elders, |
| 內則教之以孝於其親。 | and, in the internal sphere, filial piety towards parents. |
| 是故， | Hence, |
| 明君在上， | when there was an intelligent ruler above, |
| 則諸臣服從； | all his ministers submitted to and followed him. |
| 崇事宗廟社稷， | When he reverently sacrificed in his ancestral temple, and at the altars to the (spirits of the) land and grain, |
| 則子孫順孝。 | his sons and grandsons were filially obedient. |
| 盡其道， | He did all his duty in his own walk, |
| 端其義， | and was correct in his righteousness; |
| 而教生焉。 | and thence grew up the lessons (of all duty). |
| Character | Composition | Variants | Reading | Meaning | Hanyu | Kangxi | Cihai |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||||||
| 祭 | 示+6 | jì zhài ㄐㄧˋ ㄓㄞˋ | sacrifice to, worship | v4,p2397#07 | p.843#07 | p.982r1c02 | |
| 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 |
| 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. | ||||||
| 物 | 牛+4 | wù ㄨˋ | thing, substance, creature | v3,p1805#03 | p.699#09 | p.869r5c01 | |
| 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. | ||||||
| 矣 | 矢+2 | 𠤘 | yǐ ㄧˇ | Modal particle used to express declaration. / Modal particle used to express exclamation. / Modal particle used to express an order or request. | v4,p2580#04 | p.823#37 | p.955r5c01 |
| 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. | ||||||
| 興 | 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. | ||||||
| 備 | 人+10 | 𠈍 俻 备 | bèi ㄅㄟˋ | prepare, ready, perfect | v1,p0200#08 | p.113#21 | p.121r3c02 |
| 順 | 頁+3 | 㥧 巡 𠈼 顺 | shùn ㄕㄨㄣˋ | obey, submit to, go along with | v7,p4357#05 | p.1399#17 | p.1475r3c01 |
| 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 |
| 者 | 老+4 | zhě ㄓㄜˇ | Pronoun used after verbs, adjectives, etc. in place of a person or thing. / Pronoun used after numbers in place of a thing. / Pronoun used after time or negation to express "when" or "if". / Expressive particle used in a declarative sentence after the subject. / Expressive particle used in a sentence after the subject to express cause or explanation. | v4,p2780#05 | p.961#01 | p.1080r1c01 | |
| zhuó ㄓㄨㄛˊ | In, located in. | ||||||
| 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 |
| 教 | 攴+7 | 敎 | jiào jiāo ㄐㄧㄠˋ ㄐㄧㄠ | teach, class | v2,p1459#09 | p.472#05 | |
| 本 | 木+1 | 夲 楍 㮺 𡴡 | běn ㄅㄣˇ | root, origin, source; basis | v2,p1151#01 | p.509#07 | p.666r3c01 |
| 與 | 臼+8 | 与 𢌱 𦦲 𠔔 | yú ㄩˊ | (12.1) 語助詞：用於句末，表示疑問、感嘆或反詰。 Auxiliary word: used at the end of a sentence to express questioning , exclamation, or a rhetorical question. | v1,p0251#04 | p.1004#13 | p.1113r2c03 |
| 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 |
| 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 | |
| 君子 | 口+4 子+0 | 𠱩 𠱭 㜽 𢀈 𢀉 𡐫 𣕓 只 | jūnzǐ ㄐㄩㄣㄗˇ | (2) 有道德的人。 A moral man. | v1,p0595#06 v2,p1006#06 | p.177#07 p.277#01 | p.256r6c08 p.395r1c01 |
| 外 | 夕+2 | 𡖄 舀 | wài ㄨㄞˋ | out, outside, external; foreign | v2,p0860#01 | p.246#02 | p.336r4c02 |
| 則 | 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 |
| 尊 | 寸+9 | zūn ㄗㄨㄣ | respect, revere, venerate; honor | v1,p0509#06 | p.295#10 | p.435r4c01 | |
| 君 | 口+4 | 𠱩 𠱭 | jūn ㄐㄩㄣ | The son of heaven. / The ruler of a state. / Dafu (title). / To be ruler. / To rule, to govern. | v1,p0595#06 | p.177#07 | p.256r6c08 |
| 長 | 長+0 | 镸 𨱗 𠤐 𠑷 𠔊 𠑻 𠑿 𡕣 长 | cháng zhǎng zhàng ㄔㄤˊ ㄓㄤˇ ㄓㄤˋ | long; length; excel in; leader | v6,p4050#01 | p.1328#07 | p.1399r3c04 |
| 內 | 入+2 | 𡗠 内 | nèi nà ㄋㄟˋ ㄋㄚˋ | inside, interior; domestic | v1,p0097#02 | p.125#35 | p.141r5c02 |
| 孝 | 子+4 | xiào ㄒㄧㄠˋ | filial piety, obedience; mourning | v2,p1011#04 | p.278#11 | p.398r5c03 | |
| 於 | 方+4 | 烏 𣱏 𤕘 于 亏 扵 | yú ㄩˊ | Be (copula). / Be, exist. / Preposition: in. / Preposition: from or to. / Preposition: compared to. / Preposition: to, for, towards. / Preposition: by (indicating passive tense). / Preposition: with, using. / Preposition: due to, because of. / Preposition: by, according to. / Connective: just as. / Auxiliary word, no meaning. | v3,p2175#02 | p.481#11 | p.622r2c03 |
| 親 | 見+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 |
| 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 |
| 在 | 土+3 | zài ㄗㄞˋ | Exist, be alive. / Be in a certain place. / Inquire after, pay one's respects to. / Preposition: due to, being that. / Preposition: specifies location or time of an action - in, at. | v1,p0418#07 | p.223#10 | p.312r2c07 | |
| 上 | 一+2 | 丄 𠄞 | shàng ㄕㄤˋ | top; superior, highest; go up, send up | v1,p0005#04 | p.76#07 | p.24r2c01 |
| 諸 | 言+9 | 𢒕 诸 | zhū ㄓㄨ | The many, every. / Third person pronoun: him, her, it. / Contraction of "之於": "It in". / Contraction of "之乎": "Is it?" / Modal particle. | v6,p3982#03 | p.1172#04 | |
| 臣 | 臣+0 | 𢘑 | chén ㄔㄣˊ | minister, statesman, official | v4,p2801#01 | p.999#13 | p.1106r2c02 |
| 服 | 月+4 | 𣍞 𦨈 | fú fù bì ㄈㄨˊ ㄈㄨˋ ㄅㄧˋ | clothes; wear, dress | v3,p2053#07 | p.505#02 | |
| 從 | 彳+8 | 従 从 | cóng ㄘㄨㄥˊ | Follow, accompany. / Cause to follow, make go along with. / Pursue, chase after. / Die with, bury along with the dead. / Listen to, do as required. / Eloquent. / Obedient, submissive. / Route to peaceful society, correct order. / Perform, participate in. / Blood relation through the male line. / Secondary, sub- (of official titles). / Preposition: from. / Preposition: towards. / Preposition: because of, due to. / Addition, also. | v2,p0829#12 | p.368#18 | p.514r5c01 |
| zòng ㄗㄨㄥˋ | North-south. / Alliance of states opposed to the Qin alliance. / Straight, upright. / Indulge, allow to. / Connective: even if. | ||||||
| zōng ㄗㄨㄥ | Trace, vestige. | ||||||
| sǒng ㄙㄨㄥˇ | See 從容。 | ||||||
| 崇 | 山+8 | 嵩 | chóng ㄔㄨㄥˊ | esteem, honor, revere, venerate | v1,p0782#14 | p.313#01 | p.457r5c01 |
| 事 | 亅+7 | 亊 叓 𠭏 | shì ㄕˋ | Office, duty. / Job, career. / Things, affairs. / Accident, incident. / Engage (in), pursue. / Serve. | v1,p0023#03 | p.85#24 | p.58r3c02 |
| 宗 | 宀+5 | zōng ㄗㄨㄥ | lineage, ancestry; ancestor, clan | v2,p0917#11 | p.283#14 | p.411r6c01 | |
| 廟 | 广+12 | 庙 庿 | miào ㄇㄧㄠˋ | temple, shrine; imperial court | v2,p0901#02 | p.350#28 | p.492r6c02 |
| 社 | 示+3 | 𥙲 䄕 𥙭 | shè ㄕㄜˋ | god of the soil and altars to him; group of families; company, society | v4,p2386#07 | p.839#26 | |
| 稷 | 禾+10 | 𥞷 | jì zè ㄐㄧˋ ㄗㄜˋ | god of cereals; minister of agriculture | v4,p2623#05 | p.857#19 | p.994r3c07 |
| 子 | 子+0 | 㜽 𢀈 𢀉 𡐫 𣕓 只 | zǐ ㄗˇ | Child, heir. Refers to both sons and daughters. / Love, charity. / Respectful term for a man. / People in general. / Fourth of the five levels of nobility. / First of the twelve earthly branches of the zodiac. | v2,p1006#06 | p.277#01 | p.395r1c01 |
| 孫 | 子+7 | 孙 | sūn xùn ㄙㄨㄣ ㄒㄩㄣˋ | grandchild, descendent; surname | v2,p1016#05 | p.279#23 | p.401r6c02 |
| 盡 | 皿+9 | 𥁞 尽 | jìn ㄐㄧㄣˋ | Finished, all gone. / Finish, end. / Die. / Until. / Exert oneself to the utmost. / Exhaust. / Limit, extreme. / (Spoken) clearly and unambiguously. / Fully, completely. / Most (superlative). / Advance, move forward. / Expense. | v4,p2567#05 | p.795#22 | p.940r3c05 |
| 道 | 辵+9 | 𨕥 衟 𡬹 | dào ㄉㄠˋ | Road, path. / Journey. / Method. / Law, reason. / Doctrine, claim. / Skill, technique. / Principle, right way. / The Dao, the origin of all things in Daoism. / Speak, talk. / Take a course of action. / Take a course of action. / Rites paid to the spirit of roads. / Ancient administrative unit. / Daoism. | v6,p3864#01 | p.1262#06 | p.1326r3c02 |
| dǎo ㄉㄠˇ | Lead. / Flow smoothly. | ||||||
| 端 | 立+9 | 耑 | duān ㄉㄨㄢ | end, extreme; head; beginning | v4,p2714#01 | p.872#32 | p.1005r3c05 |
| 義 | 羊+7 | 义 | yì ㄧˋ | right conduct, righteousness | v5,p3133#02 | p.952#32 | p.1071r3c01 |
| 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. | ||||||
| 生 | 生+0 | 𤯓 | shēng ㄕㄥ | life, living, lifetime; birth | v4,p2575#01 | p.754#26 | p.906r5c03 |
| 焉 | 火+7 | yān ㄧㄢ | Same as 「之(2)」 zhī ㄓ: Demonstrative pronoun: this, these. / Same as 「之(3)」 zhī ㄓ: Third person pronoun: him, her, it. / Demonstrative pronoun and modal particle: than this. / Interrogative pronoun: how, where. / Interrogative pronoun: what. / Connective: and, then. / Preposition: in. / Modal particle. / Adjectival or adverbal suffix. | v3,p2206#14 | p.672#21 | p.847r5c01 |
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