Analects 13.20 · Zi Lu
“Let your word be trustworthy and your action resolute.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
言必信 行必果 (yán bì xìn, xíng bì guǒ) means “Let your word be trustworthy and your action resolute.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 20.
言必信 行必果
- Pinyin
- yán bì xìn, xíng bì guǒ
- Translation
- Let your word be trustworthy and your action resolute.
- Source
- Analects, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 20
What does this passage mean?
The phrase says that words must be trustworthy and actions decisive. Interestingly, Confucius described this as the level of a petty person. Reliability and results matter, but the exemplary person must judge flexibly by the higher value of righteousness. Conduct that fits moral principle is superior to blind stubbornness.
How can we apply it today?
Keeping promises and producing results are foundations of social life. Confucius’s deeper lesson, however, is that we must also judge changing circumstances. Rather than blindly keeping a harmful promise, we should return to the purpose for which it was made. Hold to principles without becoming imprisoned by them; that is genuine maturity.
Questions to reflect on
- ·What do you do to keep your words and actions aligned?
- ·How do you respond when a promise becomes difficult to keep?
- ·How do you balance principle and flexibility?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 言 | yán | speech | 7 | 言 (speech) |
| 必 | bì | certainly | 5 | 心 (heart) |
| 信 | xìn | trust | 9 | 人 (person) |
| 行 | xíng | practice | 6 | 行 (walk) |
| 必 | bì | certainly | 5 | 心 (heart) |
| 果 | guǒ | fruit; result | 8 | 木 (tree) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Let your word be trustworthy and your…” mean?
言必信 行必果 (yán bì xìn, xíng bì guǒ) means “Let your word be trustworthy and your action resolute.” It comes from the Analects, Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 20.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 13.20: Book 13 (Zi Lu), Chapter 20.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Keeping promises and producing results are foundations of social life.Confucius’s deeper lesson, however, is that we must also judge changing circumstances.