Chinese Text Project Dictionary

Daoism -> Dao De Jing -> 2

	(The nourishment of the person)
天下皆知美之為美，	All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful,
斯惡已。	and in doing this they have (the idea of) what ugliness is;
皆知善之為善，	they all know the skill of the skilful,
斯不善已。	and in doing this they have (the idea of) what the want of skill is.
故有無相生，	So it is that existence and non-existence give birth the one to (the idea of) the other;
難易相成，	that difficulty and ease produce the one (the idea of) the other;
長短相較，	that length and shortness fashion out the one the figure of the other;
高下相傾，	that (the ideas of) height and lowness arise from the contrast of the one with the other;
音聲相和，	that the musical notes and tones become harmonious through the relation of one with another;
前後相隨。	and that being before and behind give the idea of one following another.
是以聖人處無為之事，	Therefore the sage manages affairs without doing anything,
行不言之教；	and conveys his instructions without the use of speech.
萬物作焉而不辭，	All things spring up, and there is not one which declines to show itself;
生而不有。	they grow, and there is no claim made for their ownership;
為而不恃，	they go through their processes, and there is no expectation (of a reward for the results).
功成而弗居。	The work is accomplished, and there is no resting in it (as an achievement).
夫唯弗居，	The work is done, but how no one can see;
是以不去。	'Tis this that makes the power not cease to be.

Character	Composition	Variants	Reading	Meaning	Hanyu	Kangxi	Cihai
天下	大+1 一+2	𠀡𠀘𦴞兲靝𠕹丅厥𠄟	tiān xià ㄊㄧㄢㄒㄧㄚˋ	世界。 "All under heaven", the world.	v1,p0522#01 v1,p0007#01	p.248#04 p.76#10	p.358r4c01 p.28r1c01
皆	白+4		jiē ㄐㄧㄝ	all, every, everybody	v4,p2647#01	p.786#12	p.735r5c01
知	矢+3	𢇻𥎿	zhī ㄓ	(1) 知道，懂得。 Know, understand.	v4,p2581#02	p.824#01	p.955r5c02
美	羊+3	羙	měi ㄇㄟˇ	beautiful, pretty; pleasing	v5,p3126#05	p.951#10	p.1069r5c01
之	丿+3	㞢	zhī ㄓ	(4.2) 助詞：用於主語和謂語之間，取消句子的獨立性。 Auxiliary word: used between subject and predicate, cancels independence of a clause.	v1,p0043#01	p.82#04	p.47r2c02
為	火+5	爲为	wéi ㄨㄟˊ	(12) 表示判斷，相當於現代漢語的「是」。 Expresses judgement: is.	v3,p2198#11	p.669#10	p.844r4c03
斯	斤+8	𣂕	sī ㄙ	(4) 連詞：就，則。 Connective: then, in that case.	v3,p2025#06	p.480#04	p.614r5c03
惡	心+8	惡亞僫恶	è ㄜˋ	(4) 醜。與「美」相對。 Ugly.	v4,p2307#12	p.391#25	p.535r4c01
已	己+0		yǐ ㄧˇ	Stop, discontinue. / Complete / The past. / Recover, be cured. / Leave [a post], retire. / Value and carry out. / Adverb: shortly, before long. / Adverb: already. / Adverb: extremely. / Modal particle used at the end of a sentence. / Interjection. / Same as 「以(1)」 yǐ ㄧˇ: Use. / Same as 「以(9)」 yǐ ㄧˇ: Particle: used together with some words expressing direction and time.	v2,p0984#01	p.326#11	p.467r3c01
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.
善	口+9	譱𦎍𠾄𧮟	shàn ㄕㄢˋ	(1) 好，善良。與「惡」相對。 Good.	v1,p0660#02	p.197#18	p.282r3c04
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
生	生+0	𤯓	shēng ㄕㄥ	life, living, lifetime; birth	v4,p2575#01	p.754#26	p.906r5c03
難	隹+11	𩁢𩁬𩀙𩁣𩁲𩁩𩀏𩁤难	nán ㄋㄢˊ	Difficult, not easy. / Make difficult, think difficult.	v6,p4108#05	p.1370#05	p.1446r3c01
			nàn ㄋㄢˋ	Disaster. / Blame. / Censure, reject. / Resent. / Hate. / Doctrine, thesis.
			nǎn ㄋㄢˇ	Fear.
			nuó ㄋㄨㄛˊ	Luxuriant. / Ceremony to banish sprits thought responsible for contagion. / How, why.
易	日+4	易	yì ㄧˋ	change; easy	v2,p1494#01	p.492#03	p.633r6c01
成	戈+2	𢦩	chéng ㄔㄥˊ	completed, finished, fixed	v2,p1399#01	p.411#11
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
短	矢+7		duǎn ㄉㄨㄢˇ	short; brief; deficient, lacking	v4,p2584#03	p.824#33	p.956r4c04
較	車+6	较	jiào jué xiào ㄐㄧㄠˋ ㄐㄩㄝˊ ㄒㄧㄠˋ	compare; comparatively, more	v5,p3531#05	p.1242#31	p.1300r5c01
高	高+0	髙	gāo gào ㄍㄠㄍㄠˋ	high, tall; lofty, elevated	v7,p4593#01	p.1451#26	p.1514r4c03
下	一+2	丅厥𠄟	xià ㄒㄧㄚˋ	under, underneath, below; down; inferior; bring down	v1,p0007#01	p.76#10	p.28r1c01
傾	人+11	倾	qīng ㄑㄧㄥ	upset, pour out, overflow	v1,p0212#10	p.115#10	p.124r2c04
音	音+0		yīn yìn ㄧㄣㄧㄣˋ	sound, tone, pitch, pronunciation	v7,p4495#01	p.1396#25	p.1472r4c04
聲	耳+11	殸声	shēng ㄕㄥ	sound, voice, noise; tone; music	v4,p2794#04	p.969#18	p.1085r3c01
和	口+5	龢咊惒	hé huò huó hè ㄏㄜˊ ㄏㄨㄛˋ ㄏㄨㄛˊ ㄏㄜˋ	harmony, peace; peaceful, calm	v1,p0602#01	p.185#01	p.267r3c01
前	刀+7	歬𣦃	qián ㄑㄧㄢˊ	in front, forward; preceding	v1,p0248#04	p.140#15	p.184r4c01
後	彳+6	𨒥𢔏后	hòu ㄏㄡˋ	Behind, to the rear of. / To be left behind. / Later in time. / Future. / Descendents, offspring.	v2,p0822#03	p.366#18	p.511r2c01
隨	阜+13	𨼕遀追随	suí ㄙㄨㄟˊ	follow, listen to, submit; to accompany; subsequently, then	v6,p4156#17	p.1361#04	p.1434r1c01
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
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
聖人	耳+7 人+0	堊𦕡𠄵圣𠔽亻	shèng rén ㄕㄥˋ ㄖㄣˊ	出類拔萃的人。 Sage, outstanding person.	v4,p2789#06 v1,p0101#10	p.967#22 p.91#01	p.1082r6c06 p.80r2c01
處	虍+5	処䖏处	chǔ ㄔㄨˇ	(4.1) 治，施行。 Implement, carry out.	v4,p2822#12	p.1073#25	p.1183r5c02
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
行	行+0	行	xíng ㄒㄧㄥˊ	(9.1) 做，實施。 Do, carry out.	v2,p0811#06	p.1108#31	p.1203r5c05
言	言+0	訁𢍗𢍬	yán ㄧㄢˊ	Speak, say. / Discuss, debate. / Tell. / Doctrine, theory, words. / One word. / Sentence. / Particle, no meaning.	v6,p3936#01	p.1146#01	p.1236r5c03
教	攴+7	敎	jiào jiāo ㄐㄧㄠˋ ㄐㄧㄠ	teach, class	v2,p1459#09	p.472#05
萬	禸+8	万卍㸘𤍚𢁭	wàn ㄨㄢˋ	ten thousand; innumerable	v5,p3247#08	p.1042#33	p.1149r4c02
物	牛+4		wù ㄨˋ	thing, substance, creature	v3,p1805#03	p.699#09	p.869r5c01
作	人+5	胙𢓓	zuò ㄗㄨㄛˋ	Arise, stand up. / Grow, flourish. / Begin. / Create, make. / Work, effort. / Serve as, work as. / When, at such time as.	v1,p0134#06	p.99#07	p.99r3c01
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
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.
辭	辛+12	辞辤𤔧	cí ㄘˊ	Confession. / Speech, phrase, language. / Excuse, reason. / Tell, explain. / Refuse, not accept. / Dispatch, expel. / Bid farewell. / A form of writing in ancient China.	v6,p4043#13	p.1252#08	p.1310r3c02
恃	心+6		shì ㄕˋ	rely on, presume on, trust to	v4,p2293#15	p.383#19	p.528r5c01
功	力+3		gōng ㄍㄨㄥ	achievement, merit, good result	v1,p0365#08	p.146#11	p.192r3c03
弗	弓+2		fú ㄈㄨˊ	not, negative	v2,p0990#09	p.356#16	p.500r5c01
居	尸+5	㞐㝒	jū ㄐㄩ	Sit down. / Wait. / Live, dwell. / Dwelling, residence. / Tomb. / Rank, position occupied. / Person occupying the rank of ruler. / Live peacefully. / Usually, normally. / Located in. / Defend (a post), guard (a region). / Remain behind to handle matters. / Have, possess. / Employ, implement. / Stop, rest, remain. / Store, stockpile. / Raise, rear (livestock). / Used before times expressing time elapsed: after.	v2,p0968#04	p.300#30	p.448r1c02
			jǔ ㄐㄩˇ	Movement, action.
			jù ㄐㄩˋ	Arrogant. / Straight. / Saw.
			jī ㄐㄧ	Modal particle expressing exclamation or questioning.
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.
唯	口+8		wéi ㄨㄟˊ	Only, exclusively. / Connective: although, even though. / Connective: because. / Particle used at the beginning of a sentence to express hope or desire. / Particle used at the beginning of a sentence to express confirmation. / Particle, no meaning.	v1,p0642#05	p.193#17	p.277r1c02
			wěi ㄨㄟˇ	Sound of affirmation. / Affirm.
去	厶+3		qù ㄑㄩˋ	Leave, go away from. / Send away. / Remove, get rid of. / Banish, discard. / Lose, cease to possess. / Distance, separation. / Previous, past. / Later, after.	v1,p0384#08	p.164#10	p.232r1c04
			jǔ ㄐㄩˇ	Collect, keep.
			qū ㄑㄩ	Expel.

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