Classica Sinica Medica

孫脉 简体 孙脉

sūn mài

Grandchild vessel · sun mai

Also rendered: Grandchild vessel (this site; literal from the two graphs, and it keeps the kinship the name is built on) · Sun mai (how the word is usually left in English writing on the Suwen, transliterated because the genealogy does not survive translation)

Vessels

Reviewed · 2026-10-04

At a glance

Pinyin
sūn mài
Simplified
孙脉
Literal
孫 sūn — a grandchild, what comes after the child; 脉 mài — a vessel. The name is a genealogy: the great channel is the trunk, the network vessel that branches from it is the child, and the finest offshoot of all is the grandchild. The chapter uses the word only in the account of how something gets in, and that account is the clearest ladder in the Suwen: 風雨之傷人也，先客於皮膚，傳入於孫脉，孫脉滿則傳入於絡脉，絡脉滿則輸於大經脉. Skin first, then the grandchild vessel, then the network vessel, then the great channel — each one fills before the next is entered. The second passage runs the ladder backwards and says what the rungs have in common: 絡之與孫脉，俱輸於經, the network vessel and the grandchild vessel both pour into the channel. So the grandchild vessel is the last thing before the skin and the first thing inside it, which is why the chapter's other use of it matters too: 孫絡水溢，則經有留血, when the grandchild vessel overflows with water the channel is left holding blood. The site already has 孫絡, the grandchild network, from chapter 58, where the word is counted: 孫絡三百六十五穴會. This base text writes 脉 where chapter 58 wrote 絡; the two are one thing under two graphs, and this entry cross-refers rather than competing with the other.
Shuowen
**「孫」讀 sūn，本篇4見；子之子曰孫，引申為細微之末**；**「脉」讀 mài，本篇从「脉」，不从「脈」，本篇無「脈」字**；**「孫脉」本篇3見，「孫絡」1見，二字同實而異形，各从底本**；**「絡」讀 luò，本篇「絡」13見**；**「絡脉」本篇2見，在傳變之序中**；**「客」讀 kè，「先客於皮膚」——自外而至、留止而未深**；**「傳」讀 chuán，本篇2見；「傳入」謂由此之彼**；**「輸」讀 shū，「絡脉滿則輸於大經脉」——輸者，轉輸也**；**「滿」讀 mǎn、「溢」讀 yì；「孫絡水溢」之溢謂滿而外出**；**「大經脉」dà jīng mài——經脉之大者，傳變之第三層**；**「中」讀 zhòng（中傷）／zhōng（在内），本篇「中」9見**

In brief

The grandchild vessel — 孫 sūn, a grandchild, the furthest remove from the trunk; 脉 mài, a vessel — and the chapter gives the word its meaning by putting it at the head of a ladder: 風雨之傷人也，先客於皮膚，傳入於孫脉，孫脉滿則傳入於絡脉，絡脉滿則輸於大經脉. Skin, grandchild vessel, network vessel, great channel, each filling before the next is entered. The other passage runs it backwards: 絡之與孫脉，俱輸於經 — the network vessel and the grandchild vessel both pour into the channel, which is what makes them one family and makes the grandchild the innermost of the shallow places. A third use shows why that matters clinically: 血氣未并，五藏安定，孫絡水溢，則經有留血 — the grandchild vessel overflowing is what leaves blood stranded in the channel. The site has 孫絡, the grandchild network, from chapter 58, where it is counted among the three hundred and sixty-five; this chapter writes the word with 脉 rather than 絡, and the two are the same thing under two graphs. The word has not appeared in this form on the site before.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The graphs 孫脉
孫者子之子，引申為細微之末；脉者血氣所行之府
傳入於孫脉，孫脉滿則傳入於絡脉 — Suwen 62
2
Its place in the ladder of entry 皮膚 → 孫脉 → 絡脉 → 大經脉
風雨傷人，先客於皮膚，由孫脉而絡脉而大經脉，一層滿而後入其下一層
先客於皮膚，傳入於孫脉 — Suwen 62
3
What it shares with the network vessel 絡之與孫脉，俱輸於經
孫脉與絡脉皆轉輸於經，故二者為一族，而孫脉為淺之最深者
絡之與孫脉，俱輸於經 — Suwen 62
4
Why it matters clinically 孫絡水溢，則經有留血
孫絡溢則經有留血，是血有餘之微者；刺之者「視其血絡，刺出其血」
孫絡水溢，則經有留血 — Suwen 62
5
The graph this base text uses 孫脉
本篇作「孫脉」3見、「孫絡」1見，二字同實而異形，各从底本不改
傳入於孫脉 — Suwen 62
6
How it is counted elsewhere 孫絡三百六十五穴會
第五十八篇言孫絡之數，亦三百六十五而應一歲；本篇言其傳變之序，二篇互見
絡之與孫脉，俱輸於經 — Suwen 62

Occurrences in the classics

Passages where the term does real work, with the original, pinyin and English on the same line.

Display
2 passages
Suwen 62 Suwen 62 · 調經論 Read in context →
歧伯曰：風雨之傷人也，先客於皮膚，傳入於孫脉，孫脉滿則傳入於絡脉，絡脉滿則輸於大經脉。血氣與邪并客於分腠之閒，其脉堅大，故曰實。實者外堅充滿，不可按之，按之則痛。 歧伯曰：风雨之伤人也，先客于皮肤，传入于孙脉，孙脉满则传入于络脉，络脉满则输于大经脉。血气与邪并客于分腠之间，其脉坚大，故曰实。实者外坚充满，不可按之，按之则痛。
Qí bó yuē: fēng yǔ zhī shāng rén yě, xiān kè yú pí fū, chuán rù yú sūn mài, sūn mài mǎn zé chuán rù yú luò mài, luò mài mǎn zé shū yú dà jīng mài. Xuè qì yǔ xié bìng kè yú fēn còu zhī jiān, qí mài jiān dà, gù yuē shí. Shí zhě wài jiān chōng mǎn, bù kě àn zhī, àn zhī zé tòng.
Qi Bo says: when wind and rain wound a man they lodge first in the skin, and pass on into the grandchild vessels; when those are full they pass on into the network vessels; when those are full they pour into the great channels. Blood and qi together with the evil lodge in the partings and interstices; the vessel is hard and large, and hence the name, excess. In excess the outside is hard and full: it cannot be pressed, and pressing it hurts.
**「孫脉」本篇3見：此句二見，「絡之與孫脉，俱輸於經」一見**；**「孫絡」1見（孫絡水溢，則經有留血）——二字同實而異形，各从底本**；**「孫」讀 sūn、「脉」讀 mài；本篇从「脉」，不从「脈」**；**傳變之序：皮膚→孫脉→絡脉→大經脉，是本篇論邪之入最明之處**；**「客」讀 kè、「傳」讀 chuán、「輸」讀 shū、「滿」讀 mǎn**
素問·繆刺論 Suwen 63 · 繆刺論 Read in context →
歧伯對曰：夫邪之客於形也，必先舍於皮毛；留而不去，入舍於孫脉；留而不去，入舍於絡脉；留而不去，入舍於經脉，内連五藏，散於腸胃，陰陽俱感，五藏乃傷，此邪之從皮毛而入，極於五藏之次也，如此則治其經焉。 歧伯对曰：夫邪之客于形也，必先舍于皮毛；留而不去，入舍于孙脉；留而不去，入舍于络脉；留而不去，入舍于经脉，内连五藏，散于肠胃，阴阳俱感，五藏乃伤，此邪之从皮毛而入，极于五藏之次也，如此则治其经焉。
Qí bó duì yuē: fú xié zhī kè yú xíng yě, bì xiān shè yú pí máo; liú ér bù qù, rù shè yú sūn mài; liú ér bù qù, rù shè yú luò mài; liú ér bù qù, rù shè yú jīng mài, nèi lián wǔ zàng, sàn yú cháng wèi, yīn yáng jù gǎn, wǔ zàng nǎi shāng, cǐ xié zhī cóng pí máo ér rù, jí yú wǔ zàng zhī cì yě, rú cǐ zé zhì qí jīng yān.
Qi Bo replies: When evil lodges in the form it must first settle in the skin and the down. If it stays and does not leave it enters the grandchild vessel; if it stays and does not leave it enters the network vessel; if it stays and does not leave it enters the channel vessel, links inward to the five viscera and spreads to the stomach and bowels, so that yin and yang are both affected and the five viscera are harmed. This is the order by which evil enters at the skin and the hair and reaches its extreme in the five viscera. In such a case one treats the channels.
「留而不去，入舍於孫脉；留而不去，入舍於絡脉；留而不去，入舍於經脉」——**「孫脉」本篇1見，在邪自外入内之序中**：**皮毛→孫脉→絡脉→經脉，絡脉滿則入於經而内連五藏，是邪入之全序**；**本篇「孫絡」1見（入舍於孫絡），與「孫脉」同實而異形，各从底本，不相統改**；**「舍」本篇5見，讀 shě，留止之義**；**「孫」讀 sūn、「脉」讀 mài**

Compounds built on this term

絡脉
luò mài
the network vessel
孫脉滿則傳入於絡脉，絡脉滿則輸於大經脉；本篇2見
大經脉
dà jīng mài
the great channel vessel
絡脉滿則輸於大經脉；傳變之第三層
孫絡水溢
sūn luò shuǐ yì
the grandchild network overflowing with water
孫絡水溢，則經有留血；「溢」讀 yì
傳入
chuán rù
passing in
傳入於孫脉、傳入於絡脉；「傳」讀 chuán，本篇2見

How it has been translated

Every rendering below is a decision about which reader is being addressed. There is no neutral option.

This sitegrandchild vesselliteral from the graphs — 孫 a grandchild, 脉 a vessel — because the name is a genealogy and the chapter is the one text that spells the genealogy out: skin, grandchild, network, great channel
Clinicalthe smallest vesselwhat the word is in practice, the finest offshoot and the first thing inside the skin; right as far as it goes, though it loses the reason the chapter calls it a grandchild
Later usagesun luo · the grandchild networkthe form the site already carries from chapter 58 and the form this chapter also writes once; the same vessel, and the difference is 脉 against 絡 rather than two things

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-10-04

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