| Chinese Text Project |
| (The attribute of benevolence) | |
| 執大象， | To him who holds in his hands the Great Image (of the invisible Dao), |
| 天下往。 | the whole world repairs. |
| 往而不害， | Men resort to him, and receive no hurt, |
| 安平大。 | but (find) rest, peace, and the feeling of ease. |
| 樂與餌， | Music and dainties |
| 過客止。 | will make the passing guest stop (for a time). |
| 道之出口， | But though the Dao as it comes from the mouth, |
| 淡乎其無味， | seems insipid and has no flavour, |
| 視之不足見，聽之不足聞， | though it seems not worth being looked at or listened to, |
| 用之不足既。 | the use of it is inexhaustible. |
| Character | Composition | Variants | Reading | Meaning | Hanyu | Kangxi | Cihai |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 執 | 土+8 | 执 𠌷 | zhí ㄓˊ | hold in hand; keep; carry out | v1,p0457#05 | p.231#09 | p.321r1c02 |
| 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. | ||||||
| 象 | 豕+5 | 𤉢 𧰼 | xiàng ㄒㄧㄤˋ | elephant; ivory; figure, image | v6,p3611#09 | p.1195#21 | p.1262r5c04 |
| 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 |
| 往 | 彳+5 | 徃 𢔎 𨓹 | wǎng wàng ㄨㄤˇ ㄨㄤˋ | go, depart; past, formerly | v2,p0817#06 | p.365#32 | p.509r6c03 |
| 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. | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
| 害 | 宀+7 | hài ㄏㄞˋ | Injure, kill. / Damage, obstruct. / Disaster. / Harm, harmful effect. / Fear. / Difficult path, dangerous area. / Jealous. | v2,p0929#05 | p.286#12 | p.419r5c01 | |
| hé ㄏㄜˊ | What. / Why not. | ||||||
| è ㄜˋ | Stop, prevent. | ||||||
| 安 | 宀+3 | ān ㄢ | (8) 連詞：乃，於是。 Connective: so, thereupon. | v2,p0913#09 | p.282#08 | p.406r2c01 | |
| 平 | 干+2 | 𤔁 𠀭 | píng ㄆㄧㄥˊ | flat, level, even; peaceful | v1,p0407#01 | p.339#03 | p.480r4c02 |
| 樂 | 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. | ||||||
| 與 | 臼+8 | 与 𢌱 𦦲 𠔔 | yǔ ㄩˇ | Give. / Follow, go along with. / Comrade, ally. / Association, contact. / Oppose. / Engage [an enemy]. / Approve, consent to. / Help. / Wait. / Preposition indicating passive tense. / Preposition: to, with. / Preposition: with. / Preposition: as. / Preposition: in, on. / Connective: and, with. / Connective: with its ... / Connective: or. | v1,p0251#04 | p.1004#13 | p.1113r2c03 |
| yù ㄩˋ | Participate, take part in. | ||||||
| yǔ ㄩˇ | Interfere in. | ||||||
| yú ㄩˊ | Auxiliary word: used at the end of a sentence to express questioning , exclamation, or a rhetorical question. / Auxiliary word: used in the middle of a sentence to express a pause. | ||||||
| 餌 | 食+6 | 饵 | ěr ㄦˇ | bait; bait, entice; dumplings | v7,p4449#13 | p.1419#30 | p.1492r2c01 |
| 過 | 辵+9 | 过 𨓺 | guò ㄍㄨㄛˋ | Pass by, go by. / Exceed, go beyond. / Too much, excess. / Mistake, make a mistake. / Crime, commit a crime. / Lose. / Visit. | v6,p3849#08 | p.1261#22 | p.1325r2c01 |
| guō ㄍㄨㄛ | Name of a state in pre-Qin China. | ||||||
| 客 | 宀+6 | kè ㄎㄜˋ | guest, traveller; customer | v2,p0927#13 | p.284#12 | p.416r4c04 | |
| 止 | 止+0 | 只 | zhǐ ㄓˇ | stop, halt, desist; detain | v2,p1435#03 | p.573#24 | p.732r3c02 |
| 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. | ||||||
| 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 |
| 出 | 凵+3 | 岀 | chū ㄔㄨ | Go out, exit. / Outside, without. / Take up a post. / Exile, banish. / Abandon (one's wife). / Free, release. / Give out, hand over. / Give, offer. / Send out, distribute. / Exceed. / Appear, emerge. / Create, make. / Produce, cause to grow. / Bear, give birth. / Origin, place of birth. / Part of an object which extends outwards. / Measure word: times, occurrences. / Measure word: section. | v1,p0307#08 | p.135#11 | p.172r1c01 |
| 口 | 口+0 | 𠮚 𠙵 | kǒu ㄎㄡˇ | mouth; open end; entrance, gate | v1,p0566#14 | p.171#01 | |
| 淡 | 水+8 | 澹 | dàn tán yǎn yàn ㄉㄢˋ ㄊㄢˊ ㄧㄢˇ ㄧㄢˋ | weak, watery; insipid, tasteless | v3,p1660#08 | p.630#18 | p.804r6c01 |
| 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 |
| 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. | ||||||
| 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 |
| 味 | 口+5 | wèi ㄨㄟˋ | taste, smell, odor; delicacy | v1,p0597#06 | p.182#13 | p.265r4c04 | |
| 視 | 示+7 | 眎 𥄙 眡 𥄚 𥅭 𥉙 𤋇 视 | shì ㄕˋ | look at, inspect, observe, see | v6,p3665#19 | p.1134#21 | |
| 足 | 足+0 | 疋 𤴕 | zú jù ㄗㄨˊ ㄐㄩˋ | foot; attain, satisfy, enough | v6,p3686#01 | p.1221#17 | p.1287r6c03 |
| 見 | 見+0 | 現 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. | ||||||
| 聽 | 耳+16 | 𦕢 听 | tīng tìng ㄊㄧㄥ ㄊㄧㄥˋ | hear, listen; understand; obey | v4,p2799#14 | p.970#24 | p.1087r1c02 |
| 聞 | 耳+8 | 𦕁 䎽 䎹 𦖫 𥹢 闻 | wén ㄨㄣˊ | Hear. / Make hear. / Have heard, become aware of. / Knowledge, experience. / Rumour, saying. / Renowned, well-known. / Spread, disseminate. | v7,p4294#12 | p.968#11 | p.1084r3c01 |
| wèn ㄨㄣˋ | Reputation, fame. / Same as 「問(2)」 wèn ㄨㄣˋ: Inquire after, give regards to. | ||||||
| 用 | 用+0 | 𤰆 𠛁 | yòng ㄩㄥˋ | use, employ, apply, operate; use | v1,p0097#05 | p.755#24 | p.908r6c02 |
| 既 | 无+5 | 旣 | jì xì ㄐㄧˋ ㄒㄧˋ | already; de facto; since; then | v2,p1148#01 | p.485#27 | p.626r3c02 |
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