<p>edited.</p>
<p>let's consider a conditional sentence:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>if / when ( condition a = true) &amp; ( condition b = true ), then c</p>
</blockquote>
<p>which might be simplified to:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>if / when (a &amp; b), then c</p>
</blockquote>
<p>further:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>a &amp; b, then c</p>
</blockquote>
<p>now, replace these symbols with the sentence of analects:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>if / when ( 入則孝﹒出則弟﹒謹而信﹒ 汎愛眾﹒而親仁 = true) &amp; ( 有餘力 = true ), then ( 則 )以學文</p>
</blockquote>
<p>simplify it:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>if / when ( 入則孝﹒出則弟﹒謹而信﹒ 汎愛眾﹒而親仁 ) &amp; ( 有餘力 ), then ( 則 )以學文</p>
</blockquote>
<p>since (condition a = true) implied that those actions are already performed, the original place is replaced by the character &quot;行&quot;; list these actions in front, so the sentence changed to:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>( 入則孝﹒出則弟﹒謹而信﹒ 汎愛眾﹒而親仁 )﹒if / when  ( 行 ) &amp; ( 有餘力 ), then ( 則 )以學文</p>
</blockquote>
<p>further, omit the &quot;if / when&quot;, &quot;&amp;&quot;, &quot;then&quot; :</p>
<p>( 入則孝﹒出則弟﹒謹而信﹒ 汎愛眾﹒而親仁 )﹒( 行有餘力 ), 則以學文</p>
<p>last, adding back the &quot;子曰﹒弟子&quot;, we'd have:</p>
<p>弟子入則孝﹒出則弟﹒謹而信﹒ 汎愛眾﹒而親仁﹒行有餘力﹒則以學文</p>
<p>based on james legge's translation:</p>
<p><a href="http://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=gb&amp;id=1107" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=gb&amp;id=1107</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>行有餘力﹒則以學文</p>
<p>when he has time and opportunity, after the performance of these things, he should employ them in polite studies</p>
</blockquote>
<p>行, in this context, it means &quot;after the performance of&quot; &quot;入則孝﹒出則弟﹒謹而信﹒汎愛眾﹒而親仁&quot;</p>
<p>about the rationale of such arrangement, i would say:</p>
<p>1   it's classical chinese, complied in a few thousand years ago.</p>
<p>2   it started with &quot;子曰&quot;, which implied it's authoritative, in an assertive manner, so the &quot;if / when&quot; is omitted.</p>
<p>have fun :)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-24T17:07:46.140Z
For 古文 I consult this one: http://wyw.hwxnet.com/view/hwxE8hwxA1hwx8C.html  but first I always consult Pleco for an overview. I even consulted the translation by Legge, but I was already so convinced it started an if clause, that the correct interpretation completely escaped me!
Ludi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-24T20:24:12.150Z
i see. btw, even only in 論語, "行" has numerous meanings, that i think we must consider the context, before one could get a correct translation. have fun.
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-25T15:01:35.117Z
That is certainly true, if we think of this and 三人行必有我師焉，but it needs practice and my level is very low. The context let me believe 行 initiated an if clause... In spite of my many mistakes, right now 論語 is the most exciting part of my studies :)
Ludi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-26T01:51:29.520Z
ludi, i rewrite the answer, to show the rationale & logic of this sentence; please comment :) btw, do you have this book? https://archive.org/details/fourbooksgreatle00confuoft last, i'm curious, well, may i ask why you need / want to learn literary chinese, for what purpose?
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-14T14:13:00.997Z
I like it! But my confusion stemmed not from the long list of conditions, but from the fact that I somehow thought there had to be a 若。Thank you! As for the literary Chinese, I sometimes hear bits and these have  the habit of getting stuck in my head. Often I walk around repeating them,  and then I use the same sentence order in modern sentences, which makes them wrong :( I don't know why it happens. Perhaps, the ancient texts have a great rhythm?
Ludi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-15T00:49:56.477Z
interesting :) my "superstitious" guess is that u'd learnt it in ur previous life(s) 　. my suggestions: don't try to mix literary chinese with the modern one; forget it, these two are different beasts. last, if you use cantonese to read texts of yore, the rhythm is more significant, occasionally.
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-23T18:23:58.880Z
2017-03-26T01:47:33.623Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>行 here means "to do" or "to perform".</p>

<p>行：實行；實踐 to do; to perform; to practice<br>
有：還有 still have<br>
餘：多餘的 superfluous; surplus; excess<br>
力：能力 ability; capability</p>

<p>行有餘力，<br>
After doing these and still having surplus capability,</p>

<p>行有餘力，則以學文。<br>
After one can perform the above things, and has enough time and ability, one should study and learn some knowledge.</p>

<p>"The above things" mean 入則孝，出則弟，謹而信，汎愛眾，而親仁.</p>

<p>Examples:  </p>

<p>先思而後行<br>
Think before you act.<br>
Look before you leap.</p>

<p>行之不懈<br>
Do it with no remission.</p>

<p>反其道而行<br>
Do it in an opposite way.</p>

<p>行之有年<br>
Has been performed for years.</p>

<p>知行合一<br>
Unity of knowledge and practice.</p>

<p>知之者不如行之者。<br>
To do is better than to say.</p>

<p>言出必行<br>
Do it after saying it.<br>
No sooner said than done.</p>

<p>勢在必行<br>
Must do it under such a circumstance.</p>

<hr>

<p>親仁<br>
親近君子 Close to the gentleman<br>
親近有仁德的人 Close to benevolent people<br>
「仁」指「仁者」kind, merciful, benevolent, kindly, charitable people</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-24T22:57:11.647Z
这个‘行’就是现代的’进行‘吗？
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-25T07:36:03.590Z
通常用“实行”。
“实行”和“进行”有些类似，但不完全相同。
“进行”常强调“正在做 (doing)”，但“实行”可以是“已做完 (done)、正在做 (doing)、将要做 (will do)”。
user3a
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-23T12:43:50.867Z
2017-03-23T20:59:44.977Z
2017-03-23T20:59:44.977Z
user3a
<p>The passage in the analects, whence it came, reads: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>子曰：「弟子，入則孝，出則弟，謹而信，
  凡愛眾，而親仁。行有餘力，則以學文。」</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Very broadly I understand it:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Students and sons at home should be filial, leaving home they should be respectful towards elders, trusting and sincere, all encompassingly loving the people and inclined toward kindness. If they have strength left, then for refined studies. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>But there are points I don't understand. One of them is 行。it appears to be used like 若，but my dictionary, which contains many classical examples, says nothing of such a usage! What does it mean? Can you give some more examples for this usage of 行？</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-24T01:54:42.073Z
若 is due to the context, and be nothing to 行 itself.
young99
<grammar><classical-chinese>
What is the 行 in 行有餘力？
# What is the 行 in 行有餘力？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-03-23)

The passage in the analects, whence it came, reads:

> 子曰：「弟子，入則孝，出則弟，謹而信，
> 凡愛眾，而親仁。行有餘力，則以學文。」

Very broadly I understand it:

> Students and sons at home should be filial, leaving home they should be respectful towards elders, trusting and sincere, all encompassingly loving the people and inclined toward kindness. If they have strength left, then for refined studies.

But there are points I don't understand. One of them is 行。it appears to be used like 若，but my dictionary, which contains many classical examples, says nothing of such a usage! What does it mean? Can you give some more examples for this usage of 行？

**Tags:** grammar, classical-chinese

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 若 is due to the context, and be nothing to 行 itself.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-03-23. Score: 11 | Accepted answer

行 here means "to do" or "to perform".

行：實行；實踐 to do; to perform; to practice  
有：還有 still have  
餘：多餘的 superfluous; surplus; excess  
力：能力 ability; capability

行有餘力，  
After doing these and still having surplus capability,

行有餘力，則以學文。  
After one can perform the above things, and has enough time and ability, one should study and learn some knowledge.

"The above things" mean 入則孝，出則弟，謹而信，汎愛眾，而親仁.

Examples:

先思而後行  
Think before you act.  
Look before you leap.

行之不懈  
Do it with no remission.

反其道而行  
Do it in an opposite way.

行之有年  
Has been performed for years.

知行合一  
Unity of knowledge and practice.

知之者不如行之者。  
To do is better than to say.

言出必行  
Do it after saying it.  
No sooner said than done.

勢在必行  
Must do it under such a circumstance.

---

親仁  
親近君子 Close to the gentleman  
親近有仁德的人 Close to benevolent people  
「仁」指「仁者」kind, merciful, benevolent, kindly, charitable people

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: 这个‘行’就是现代的’进行‘吗？  
> **username_3**: 通常用“实行”。 “实行”和“进行”有些类似，但不完全相同。 “进行”常强调“正在做 (doing)”，但“实行”可以是“已做完 (done)、正在做 (doing)、将要做 (will do)”。  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-03-23. Score: 3

edited.

let's consider a conditional sentence:

> if / when ( condition a = true) & ( condition b = true ), then c

which might be simplified to:

> if / when (a & b), then c

further:

> a & b, then c

now, replace these symbols with the sentence of analects:

> if / when ( 入則孝﹒出則弟﹒謹而信﹒ 汎愛眾﹒而親仁 = true) & ( 有餘力 = true ), then ( 則 )以學文

simplify it:

> if / when ( 入則孝﹒出則弟﹒謹而信﹒ 汎愛眾﹒而親仁 ) & ( 有餘力 ), then ( 則 )以學文

since (condition a = true) implied that those actions are already performed, the original place is replaced by the character "行"; list these actions in front, so the sentence changed to:

> ( 入則孝﹒出則弟﹒謹而信﹒ 汎愛眾﹒而親仁 )﹒if / when ( 行 ) & ( 有餘力 ), then ( 則 )以學文

further, omit the "if / when", "&", "then" :

( 入則孝﹒出則弟﹒謹而信﹒ 汎愛眾﹒而親仁 )﹒( 行有餘力 ), 則以學文

last, adding back the "子曰﹒弟子", we'd have:

弟子入則孝﹒出則弟﹒謹而信﹒ 汎愛眾﹒而親仁﹒行有餘力﹒則以學文

based on james legge's translation:

<http://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=gb&id=1107>

> 行有餘力﹒則以學文
>
> when he has time and opportunity, after the performance of these things, he should employ them in polite studies

行, in this context, it means "after the performance of" "入則孝﹒出則弟﹒謹而信﹒汎愛眾﹒而親仁"

about the rationale of such arrangement, i would say:

1 it's classical chinese, complied in a few thousand years ago.

2 it started with "子曰", which implied it's authoritative, in an assertive manner, so the "if / when" is omitted.

have fun :)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: For 古文 I consult this one: http://wyw.hwxnet.com/view/hwxE8hwxA1hwx8C.html  but first I always consult Pleco for an overview. I even consulted the translation by Legge, but I was already so convinced it started an if clause, that the correct interpretation completely escaped me!  
> **username_2**: i see. btw, even only in 論語, "行" has numerous meanings, that i think we must consider the context, before one could get a correct translation. have fun.  
> **username_0**: That is certainly true, if we think of this and 三人行必有我師焉，but it needs practice and my level is very low. The context let me believe 行 initiated an if clause... In spite of my many mistakes, right now 論語 is the most exciting part of my studies :)  
> **username_2**: username_0, i rewrite the answer, to show the rationale & logic of this sentence; please comment :) btw, do you have this book? https://archive.org/details/fourbooksgreatle00confuoft last, i'm curious, well, may i ask why you need / want to learn literary chinese, for what purpose?  
> **username_0**: I like it! But my confusion stemmed not from the long list of conditions, but from the fact that I somehow thought there had to be a 若。Thank you! As for the literary Chinese, I sometimes hear bits and these have  the habit of getting stuck in my head. Often I walk around repeating them,  and then I use the same sentence order in modern sentences, which makes them wrong :( I don't know why it happens. Perhaps, the ancient texts have a great rhythm?  
> **username_2**: interesting :) my "superstitious" guess is that u'd learnt it in ur previous life(s) 　. my suggestions: don't try to mix literary chinese with the modern one; forget it, these two are different beasts. last, if you use cantonese to read texts of yore, the rhythm is more significant, occasionally.  

---

