<blockquote>
  <p>is it always true</p>
</blockquote>

<p>no. only when 乎 is at the end of a verse, then it might be interpreted as doubt, rhetorical question, or guess.</p>

<p><a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?ccd=hj97ow&amp;o=e0&amp;sec=sec1&amp;op=v&amp;view=0-1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?ccd=hj97ow&amp;o=e0&amp;sec=sec1&amp;op=v&amp;view=0-1</a></p>

<p>in the verse</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>而有以通乎性命之全</p>
</blockquote>

<p>"乎" means 於, a preposition (at, in, from, . . . etc).</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>惟人也．得其形氣之正．是以其心最靈．而有以通乎性命之全</p>
</blockquote>

<p>i would suggest to interpret the verse as:</p>

<p>only the homo sapiens (惟人也),</p>

<p>get (得) the upright (正) body (形) &amp; vital energy (氣),</p>

<p>therefore (是以), its (其) mind (心) is the most (最) divine; (靈)</p>

<p>and (而) depends on [such upright body and vital energy] (有以), [homo sapiens ] succeed (通) in (乎) the complete (全) life (性命)</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/WFPID.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/WFPID.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>have fun :)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-25T12:56:05.210Z
2018-09-25T12:56:05.210Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>乎者，非唯语气助词之用也，亦作介词，同“于”之义。
试看：
风乎舞雩[在]
叫嚣乎东西，隳突乎南北[从]
吾尝疑乎是[对]</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-25T12:04:59.253Z
2018-09-25T12:04:59.253Z
Toosky Hierot
<p>I know that 乎 usually expresses doubt and is sometimes translated using rhetorical questions. But is it always true? I am wondering how should it be translated in such a case: "而有以通乎性命之全". The full sentence is:  </p>

<p>惟人也，得其形氣之正，是以其心最靈，而有以通乎性命之全</p>

<p>For the sake of clarity - the sentence is preceded with another one that contains the following statement: "然体有偏正之殊". </p>

<classical-chinese>
How to translate 乎 in classical Chinese texts?
# How to translate 乎 in classical Chinese texts?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-09-25)

I know that 乎 usually expresses doubt and is sometimes translated using rhetorical questions. But is it always true? I am wondering how should it be translated in such a case: "而有以通乎性命之全". The full sentence is:

惟人也，得其形氣之正，是以其心最靈，而有以通乎性命之全

For the sake of clarity - the sentence is preceded with another one that contains the following statement: "然体有偏正之殊".

**Tags:** classical-chinese


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-09-25. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

> is it always true

no. only when 乎 is at the end of a verse, then it might be interpreted as doubt, rhetorical question, or guess.

<http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?ccd=hj97ow&o=e0&sec=sec1&op=v&view=0-1>

in the verse

> 而有以通乎性命之全

"乎" means 於, a preposition (at, in, from, . . . etc).

> 惟人也．得其形氣之正．是以其心最靈．而有以通乎性命之全

i would suggest to interpret the verse as:

only the homo sapiens (惟人也),

get (得) the upright (正) body (形) & vital energy (氣),

therefore (是以), its (其) mind (心) is the most (最) divine; (靈)

and (而) depends on [such upright body and vital energy] (有以), [homo sapiens ] succeed (通) in (乎) the complete (全) life (性命)

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/WFPID.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/WFPID.png)

have fun :)


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-09-25. Score: 1

乎者，非唯语气助词之用也，亦作介词，同“于”之义。
试看：
风乎舞雩[在]
叫嚣乎东西，隳突乎南北[从]
吾尝疑乎是[对]


---

