The ancient Chinese text that records the sayings of Confucius is The Analects.
Known in Chinese as the Lunyu, or “Selected Conversations,” The Analects preserves sayings, dialogues, and ideas associated with Confucius and his early followers. It was not written by Confucius himself as a single-author book. Instead, scholars generally believe that portions were compiled and edited over several generations during the Warring States period, with the text reaching a more settled form during the Han dynasty.
The work discusses moral character, filial respect, education, government, ritual, and the ideal of the junzi, often translated as “gentleman” or “exemplary person.” A common mix-up is confusing The Analects with the Mencius, another major Confucian classic named for the later philosopher Mencius. During the Song dynasty, The Analects became one of the Four Books, a group that shaped Confucian education and civil-service learning for centuries.