与朋友交而不信乎

與朋友交而不信乎

yǔpéngyǒujiāoérbùxìnhū

phrase

Meanings

1 in dealings with friends, have I failed to be trustworthy?
2 (fig.) a daily self-examination on honesty in friendship — one of Zengzi's three questions
3 (lit.) with friends interacting, yet not trustworthy, question?

Characters

friend (朋友 = friends)

交

jiāo

to interact / associate

trustworthy / to keep one's word

乎

hū

(classical question particle)

Examples

他每晚反省，问自己与朋友交而不信乎。

Tā měi wǎn fǎnxǐng, wèn zìjǐ yǔ péngyǒu jiāo ér bù xìn hū.

Every evening he reflects, asking himself 'in dealings with friends, have I failed to be trustworthy?'

写日记可以从与朋友交而不信乎这样的自问开始。

Xiě rìjì kěyǐ cóng yǔ péngyǒu jiāo ér bù xìn hū zhèyàng de zìwèn kāishǐ.

Journaling can begin with self-questioning like 'in dealings with friends, have I failed to be trustworthy?'

Tips

history

From 《论语·学而》(Analects, Xue'er 1:4), the famous 三省 (three self-examinations) of 曾子 (Zengzi, Confucius' disciple): 吾日三省吾身：为人谋而不忠乎？与朋友交而不信乎？传不习乎？ (I daily examine myself on three things: in planning for others, have I been less than loyal? In dealings with friends, have I been less than trustworthy? Have I failed to practice what was transmitted to me?). A cornerstone of Confucian self-cultivation.

usage

乎 is a classical question particle (≈ 吗). 信 here = trustworthy, keeping one's word (not 'believe'). Always part of the three-question set. Chinese elementary moral education still teaches this passage as the model of daily reflection.

Stroke Order

与 yǔ

朋 péng

友 yǒu

交 jiāo

而 ér

不 bù

信 xìn

乎 hū