Chinese Text Project Dictionary

Daoism -> Dao De Jing -> 74

	(Restraining delusion)
民不畏死，	The people do not fear death;
奈何以死懼之？	to what purpose is it to (try to) frighten them with death?
若使民常畏死，	If the people were always in awe of death,
而為奇者，吾得執而殺之，	and I could always seize those who do wrong, and put them to death,
孰敢？	who would dare to do wrong?
常有司殺者殺。	There is always One who presides over the infliction death.
夫司殺者，	He who would inflict death in the room of him who so presides over it
是大匠斲；	may be described as hewing wood instead of a great carpenter.
夫代大匠斲者，希有不傷其手矣。	Seldom is it that he who undertakes the hewing, instead of the great carpenter, does not cut his own hands!

Character	Composition	Variants	Reading	Meaning	Hanyu	Kangxi	Cihai
民	氏+1	𠘽	mín ㄇㄧㄣˊ	people, subjects, citizens	v3,p2131#01	p.598#01	p.750r3c01
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.
畏	田+4	𤰲𤰣	wèi ㄨㄟˋ	Fear. / Make fear, scare. / Revere, respect. / Worry. / Detain, restrain. / Die. / Curved part of a bow.	v4,p2532#03	p.760#22	p.913r1c01
			wēi ㄨㄟ	Might, power.
死	歹+2	𠑾𣥴	sǐ ㄙˇ	die; dead; death	v2,p1380#06	p.578#22	p.740r6c06
奈	大+5	柰	nài ㄋㄞˋ	but, how; bear, stand, endure	v1,p0532#02	p.251#01	p.371r5c01
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.
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
懼	心+18	惧愳𢡔	jù ㄐㄩˋ	fear, be afraid of, dread	v4,p2371#07	p.408#43	p.549r5c07
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
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
使	人+6	𡥐𠭆	shǐ ㄕˇ	Order, send (on a mission). / Cause, make. / Allocate, use. / Indulge in.. / Send as an envoy. / Envoy, messenger. / Connective: if, supposing.	v1,p0145#02	p.101#05	p.101r3c03
常	巾+8		cháng ㄔㄤˊ	common, normal, frequent, regular	v1,p0744#01	p.333#12	p.477r2c01
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.
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.
奇	大+5	竒	qí jī ㄑㄧˊ ㄐㄧ	strange, unusual, uncanny, occult	v1,p0533#04	p.250#31	p.370r6c01
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.
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.
得	彳+8	𢔶䙷𢔨	dé ㄉㄜˊ	Get, obtain. / Plunder. / Covet. / Success. / Fitting, appropriate. / Compatible. / Satisfied, pleased. / Possible, can. / Same as 「德(1)」 dé ㄉㄜˊ: Morals, morality. / Same as 「德(3)」 dé ㄉㄜˊ: Reward kindness, thank.	v2,p0828#03	p.367#31	p.513r6c02
執	土+8	执𠌷	zhí ㄓˊ	hold in hand; keep; carry out	v1,p0457#05	p.231#09	p.321r1c02
殺	殳+7	殺煞𢁛𢽅𢿹𢽆𢼡𢿔𧤿杀	shā ㄕㄚ	Kill. / Corrupt, ruin. / Die. / Fight, kill each other.	v3,p2157#01	p.585#11	p.743r4c02
			shài ㄕㄞˋ	Wither, decline. / Decrease, reduce us of. / Decline, fall.
			sà ㄙㄚˋ	Dim, gloomy appearance.
孰	子+8	塾	shú ㄕㄨˊ	who? which? what? which one?	v2,p1016#14	p.280#05	p.403r1c03
敢	攴+8	𠭖𢽤𣪏	gǎn ㄍㄢˇ	to dare, venture; bold, brave	v2,p1463#09	p.472#26	p.605r4c02
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.
司	口+2	𤔲	sī ㄙ	take charge of, control, manage; officer	v1,p0572#08	p.174#03	p.246r4c03
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.
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
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.
匠	匚+4		jiàng ㄐㄧㄤˋ	craftsman, artisan; workman	v1,p0083#05	p.153#22	p.205r6c06
斲	斤+10	㓸斵𨮕	zhuó ㄓㄨㄛˊ	cut, chop, hack	v3,p2027#10	p.480#18	p.618r6c01
代	人+3		dài ㄉㄞˋ	replace, replacement (of person or generation); era, generation	v1,p0113#05	p.93#11	p.86r2c03
希	巾+4	稀𠬹	xī ㄒㄧ	rare; hope, expect, strive for	v1,p0731#19	p.329#18	p.473r2c03
傷	人+11	伤	shāng ㄕㄤ	wound, injury; fall ill from	v1,p0211#09	p.115#01	p.123r5c02
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.
手	手+0	扌𠂿	shǒu ㄕㄡˇ	hand	v3,p1824#01	p.416#28	p.557r3c03
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

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