Analects 16.4 · Ji Shi
“Friendship with the upright, the trustworthy, and the widely learned is beneficial.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
友直友諒友多聞 益矣 (yǒu zhí, yǒu liàng, yǒu duō wén, yì yǐ) means “Friendship with the upright, the trustworthy, and the widely learned is beneficial.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 4.
友直友諒友多聞 益矣
- Pinyin
- yǒu zhí, yǒu liàng, yǒu duō wén, yì yǐ
- Translation
- Friendship with the upright, the trustworthy, and the widely learned is beneficial.
- Source
- Analects, Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 4
What does this passage mean?
This passage from Ji Shi explains the three beneficial friends in detail. The upright friend points out our errors honestly; the trustworthy friend can be relied upon; the widely informed friend opens a broader view of the world. Confucius regarded all three types as essential to the growth of character.
How can we apply it today?
Confucius’s standard remains an accurate account of good friendship. A friend willing to say something difficult may be truer than one who only offers pleasant words. Reliability is the foundation of a relationship, and a friend with varied perspectives enlarges our world. Today, being widely informed can mean engaging with people from different fields, cultures, and experiences.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Do you have a friend who can tell you a difficult truth?
- ·Can you offer honest feedback to a friend?
- ·Do you spend time with people whose backgrounds differ from yours?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 友 | yǒu | friend | 4 | 又 (again) |
| 直 | zhí | upright | 8 | 目 (eye) |
| 友 | yǒu | friend | 4 | 又 (again) |
| 諒 | liàng | trustworthy | 15 | 言 (speech) |
| 友 | yǒu | friend | 4 | 又 (again) |
| 多 | duō | many | 6 | 夕 (evening) |
| 聞 | wén | hear | 14 | 耳 (ear) |
| 益 | yì | beneficial | 10 | 皿 (dish) |
| 矣 | yǐ | grammatical particle | 7 | 矢 (arrow) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Friendship with the upright, the…” mean?
友直友諒友多聞 益矣 (yǒu zhí, yǒu liàng, yǒu duō wén, yì yǐ) means “Friendship with the upright, the trustworthy, and the widely learned is beneficial.” It comes from the Analects, Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 4.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 16.4: Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 4.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Confucius’s standard remains an accurate account of good friendship.A friend willing to say something difficult may be truer than one who only offers pleasant words.