Analects 9.28 · Zi Han
“Only when the year turns cold do we know that the pine and cypress are the last to fade.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
歲寒然後知松柏之後凋也 (suì hán rán hòu zhī sōng bǎi zhī hòu diāo yě) means “Only when the year turns cold do we know that the pine and cypress are the last to fade.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 9 (Zi Han), Chapter 28.
歲寒然後知松柏之後凋也
- Pinyin
- suì hán rán hòu zhī sōng bǎi zhī hòu diāo yě
- Translation
- Only when the year turns cold do we know that the pine and cypress are the last to fade.
- Source
- Analects, Book 9 (Zi Han), Chapter 28
What does this passage mean?
This passage from Zi Han uses pine and cypress trees to describe the character revealed by adversity. Other trees shed their leaves in the cold, while these remain green through the seasons, but the difference becomes clear only in winter. Being the last to wither means remaining green after the other trees have faded. Confucius compares a person who preserves integrity in hard times to an evergreen pine.
How can we apply it today?
When the economy is strong, almost everyone performs well; true ability appears in crisis. The person who quietly stays responsible when a company struggles, does not abandon a friend in hardship, or keeps a principle after fashions change is a pine in winter. Adversity is painful, but it also gives us a chance to discover our true character.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Have you lived through a winter of your own?
- ·Who were you during that time?
- ·What principles remain unchanged even when life becomes difficult?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 歲 | suì | year | 13 | 止 (stop) |
| 寒 | hán | cold | 12 | 宀 (roof) |
| 然 | rán | so | 12 | 火 (fire) |
| 後 | hòu | after | 9 | 彳 (step) |
| 知 | zhī | know | 8 | 矢 (arrow) |
| 松 | sōng | pine | 8 | 木 (tree) |
| 柏 | bǎi | cypress | 9 | 木 (tree) |
| 之 | zhī | possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 後 | hòu | after | 9 | 彳 (step) |
| 凋 | diāo | wither | 10 | 冫 (ice) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Only when the year turns cold do we know…” mean?
歲寒然後知松柏之後凋也 (suì hán rán hòu zhī sōng bǎi zhī hòu diāo yě) means “Only when the year turns cold do we know that the pine and cypress are the last to fade.” It comes from the Analects, Book 9 (Zi Han), Chapter 28.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 9.28: Book 9 (Zi Han), Chapter 28.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
When the economy is strong, almost everyone performs well; true ability appears in crisis.