<p>This comes from Confucius's 论语 (Analects).</p>
<p>For the sake of other readers, let's break down the entire sentence:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>回 refers to Yanhui 颜回, a character in the Analects</p>
<p>也 is a final particle in classical Chinese, which here separates the topic from the comment</p>
<p>其 in classical Chinese means &quot;his/hers/its&quot; or simply &quot;it&quot; referring to something already mentioned before. Here it's likely to be the former.</p>
<p>庶 （shu4) stands for 庶几 &quot;almost&quot;, &quot;maybe&quot;, used in a similar way as 差不多 &quot;almost done&quot;</p>
<p>乎 in classical Chinese is (among others) a final particle used in a similar way to 呢 (and I would say also 嘛)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So putting it all together, it becomes close to:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Yanhui, his [something mentioned before] is almost done.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://lunyu.5000yan.com/11-19.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Source: Analects 11-19 commentary (in Chinese)</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-18T11:02:33.667Z
2020-06-18T11:02:33.667Z
blackgreen
<blockquote>
<p>子曰・回也其庶乎・屢空</p>
</blockquote>
<p>in 魏 dynasty, mr 何晏 explained as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>言回庶幾聖道・雖數空匱而樂在其中矣</p>
</blockquote>
<p>then, in 宋 dynasty, mr 朱熹 explained as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>庶・近也・言近道也・屢空・數至空匱也・不以貧窶動心而求富・故屢至於空匱也・言其近道又能安貧也</p>
</blockquote>
<p>afterward, in 明 dynasty, mr 胡廣 explained as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>大意謂・顔子不以貧窶動其心・故聖人見其於道庶幾 . . .</p>
</blockquote>
<p>if you do not need extra speculations, mr 朱’s explanation is enough.</p>
<p>so, read it as:</p>
<p>回 - refer to confucius’s favourite disciple “顏回”</p>
<p>也 - a modal particle, adjusting the mood / tone (語氣) of the verse</p>
<p>其 - his / that —&gt; he’s</p>
<p>庶 - nearly [ a saint | attain the tao (道)]</p>
<p>乎 - also a modal particle, like using “one of” in “one of the best” even when this “one” is the best.</p>
<p>if you consider to comprehend the texts in wider context (from 柴也愚 to 億則屢中), mr 胡廣’s book is a good reading (page 109-119):</p>
<p><a href="https://archive.org/details/06066977.cn/page/n108/mode/1up" rel="nofollow noreferrer">四書大全 論語集註大全 卷十一</a></p>
<p>have fun :)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-20T06:24:16.517Z
I find the reference of 其 dubious. If it refers to 回，it seems redundant. But what could it refer to in the context?
Apollyon
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-20T06:55:04.030Z
well, it’s an interpretation. another possible answer is, his (其) [manner / behaviour to get along with people 做人處世] is near a saint. well, i think that a shortcut of “being” is suitable in this verse.
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-20T07:00:52.680Z
If 其 means "his," is the expression for "manner in which one deals with others" found in the context?
Apollyon
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-20T07:17:07.527Z
well, like dream-analysis, people would have different interpretations on the same object / scenario.
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-20T07:24:59.683Z
It seems that Classical Chinese is a load of guesswork, unsuitable as a vehicle for precise expression.
Apollyon
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-20T07:31:56.413Z
bingo lah :) classical / literary chinese are fuzzy language. even the modern day written chinese are the same, just less. in fact, when composing text in the past, semantic is the least. remember: pattern (形) > phonetic (音) > semantic (義)
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-18T14:20:07.740Z
2020-06-18T14:20:07.740Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>I agree with @blackgreen on most points but one:</p>
<p>其 is not a pronoun here! 其 means 大概 probably, as in:</p>
<p>子贡问曰：“有一言而可以终身行之者乎？”子曰：“其恕乎！己所不欲，勿施于人。”</p>
<p>Besides, it isn't [something mentioned before], but 孔子 implied that 颜回 is almost perfect.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-20T02:42:44.040Z
But "庶" already means "probably."
Apollyon
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-18T14:16:20.690Z
2020-06-18T14:16:20.690Z
Toosky Hierot
<p>Could someone explain the meaning of every character after &quot;也&quot; in &quot;回也其庶乎&quot;?</p>
<p>I'd appreciate your help.</p>

<classical-chinese>
word meaning of 回也其庶乎 in Classical Chinese
# word meaning of 回也其庶乎 in Classical Chinese

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-06-18)

Could someone explain the meaning of every character after "也" in "回也其庶乎"?

I'd appreciate your help.

**Tags:** classical-chinese


---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-06-18. Score: 4

This comes from Confucius's 论语 (Analects).

For the sake of other readers, let's break down the entire sentence:

> 回 refers to Yanhui 颜回, a character in the Analects
>
> 也 is a final particle in classical Chinese, which here separates the topic from the comment
>
> 其 in classical Chinese means "his/hers/its" or simply "it" referring to something already mentioned before. Here it's likely to be the former.
>
> 庶 （shu4) stands for 庶几 "almost", "maybe", used in a similar way as 差不多 "almost done"
>
> 乎 in classical Chinese is (among others) a final particle used in a similar way to 呢 (and I would say also 嘛)

So putting it all together, it becomes close to:

> Yanhui, his [something mentioned before] is almost done.

[Source: Analects 11-19 commentary (in Chinese)](https://lunyu.5000yan.com/11-19.html)


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-06-18. Score: 3

> 子曰・回也其庶乎・屢空

in 魏 dynasty, mr 何晏 explained as:

> 言回庶幾聖道・雖數空匱而樂在其中矣

then, in 宋 dynasty, mr 朱熹 explained as:

> 庶・近也・言近道也・屢空・數至空匱也・不以貧窶動心而求富・故屢至於空匱也・言其近道又能安貧也

afterward, in 明 dynasty, mr 胡廣 explained as:

> 大意謂・顔子不以貧窶動其心・故聖人見其於道庶幾 . . .

if you do not need extra speculations, mr 朱’s explanation is enough.

so, read it as:

回 - refer to confucius’s favourite disciple “顏回”

也 - a modal particle, adjusting the mood / tone (語氣) of the verse

其 - his / that —> he’s

庶 - nearly [ a saint | attain the tao (道)]

乎 - also a modal particle, like using “one of” in “one of the best” even when this “one” is the best.

if you consider to comprehend the texts in wider context (from 柴也愚 to 億則屢中), mr 胡廣’s book is a good reading (page 109-119):

[四書大全 論語集註大全 卷十一](https://archive.org/details/06066977.cn/page/n108/mode/1up)

have fun :)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I find the reference of 其 dubious. If it refers to 回，it seems redundant. But what could it refer to in the context?  
> **username_2**: well, it’s an interpretation. another possible answer is, his (其) [manner / behaviour to get along with people 做人處世] is near a saint. well, i think that a shortcut of “being” is suitable in this verse.  
> **username_0**: If 其 means "his," is the expression for "manner in which one deals with others" found in the context?  
> **username_2**: well, like dream-analysis, people would have different interpretations on the same object / scenario.  
> **username_0**: It seems that Classical Chinese is a load of guesswork, unsuitable as a vehicle for precise expression.  
> **username_2**: bingo lah :) classical / literary chinese are fuzzy language. even the modern day written chinese are the same, just less. in fact, when composing text in the past, semantic is the least. remember: pattern (形) > phonetic (音) > semantic (義)  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-06-18. Score: 0

I agree with @username_1 on most points but one:

其 is not a pronoun here! 其 means 大概 probably, as in:

子贡问曰：“有一言而可以终身行之者乎？”子曰：“其恕乎！己所不欲，勿施于人。”

Besides, it isn't [something mentioned before], but 孔子 implied that 颜回 is almost perfect.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: But "庶" already means "probably."  

---

