Analects 5.9 · Gongye Chang
“Hui hears one thing and understands ten; I, Ci, hear one thing and understand two.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
回也聞一以知十 賜也聞一以知二 (huí yě wén yī yǐ zhī shí, cì yě wén yī yǐ zhī èr) means “Hui hears one thing and understands ten; I, Ci, hear one thing and understand two.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 9.
回也聞一以知十 賜也聞一以知二
- Pinyin
- huí yě wén yī yǐ zhī shí, cì yě wén yī yǐ zhī èr
- Translation
- Hui hears one thing and understands ten; I, Ci, hear one thing and understand two.
- Source
- Analects, Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 9
What does this passage mean?
In the ninth chapter of Gongye Chang, Confucius asks Zigong who is superior, he or Yan Hui, and this is Zigong’s answer. He says he would not dare compare himself with Hui: Hui hears one thing and understands ten, while he, Ci, hears one thing and understands two. Ci was Zigong’s personal name. Confucius replies that Zigong is indeed not Hui’s equal, and that neither is he himself, acknowledging Hui’s gifts while gently embracing Zigong’s honesty. The idiom ‘hear one, know ten’ comes from this passage. Zigong was a disciple of great talent and wealth, yet he could honestly recognize someone better than himself.
How can we apply it today?
The more talented a person is, the harder it is to acknowledge someone more talented. Yet Zigong calmly stated a peer’s superiority in front of his teacher. Honest self-assessment of this kind is the starting point of growth: only when you know where you stand can you see what you need to learn. At work, the people who learn from a colleague’s excellence rather than belittling it, and who admit their limits without shrinking, are the ones who go far. Hearing one thing and understanding two is no small ability either. What matters is knowing honestly exactly how much you know.
Questions to reflect on
- ·How hard is it for you to acknowledge someone more capable than you?
- ·Can you describe your abilities without exaggerating or minimizing them?
- ·When did you last feel you wanted to learn from someone?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 回 | huí | come back | 6 | 囗 (enclosure) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 聞 | wén | hear | 14 | 耳 (ear) |
| 一 | yī | one | 1 | 一 (one) |
| 以 | yǐ | by means of | 5 | 人 (person) |
| 知 | zhī | know | 8 | 矢 (arrow) |
| 十 | shí | ten | 2 | 十 (ten) |
| 賜 | cì | bestow; Ci (Zigong) | 15 | 貝 (shell) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 聞 | wén | hear | 14 | 耳 (ear) |
| 一 | yī | one | 1 | 一 (one) |
| 以 | yǐ | by means of | 5 | 人 (person) |
| 知 | zhī | know | 8 | 矢 (arrow) |
| 二 | èr | two | 2 | 二 (two) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Hui hears one thing and understands ten; I…” mean?
回也聞一以知十 賜也聞一以知二 (huí yě wén yī yǐ zhī shí, cì yě wén yī yǐ zhī èr) means “Hui hears one thing and understands ten; I, Ci, hear one thing and understand two.” It comes from the Analects, Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 9.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 5.9: Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 9.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
The more talented a person is, the harder it is to acknowledge someone more talented.Yet Zigong calmly stated a peer’s superiority in front of his teacher.