氣門简体气门

qì mén

The gate of qi · qi men

Also rendered: The gate of qi (this site; 門 is kept as a gate rather than as the pores, so that the closing is the sentence the chapter makes) · Qi men (transliteration; used when the day's three times are quoted together)

Physiology

Reviewed · 2026-10-10

At a glance

Pinyin: qì mén
Simplified: 气门
Literal: 氣 qì — the qi; 門 mén — a door, a gate (《說文》: 門，聞也，从二戶：an opening in a wall, what you hear through). 氣門 is the gate the qi passes by. Suwen 3 is the chapter that gives it a closing time: at sunset the yang qi is already empty, and the gate of qi closes. Commentators since have taken it to be the pores, which is why the sentence that follows is about mist and dew.
Shuowen: **「氣」讀 qì，本篇47見**；**「門」讀 mén，本篇1見**；**「氣門」本篇1見**；**《說文》：門，聞也，从二戶**；**後世注家多以氣門為汗孔、玄府**

In brief

The opening the yang qi uses. Suwen 3 sets the day out in three movements — the human qi is born at dawn, the yang qi is at its height at midday, and by sunset it is already empty, so the gate of qi closes. The rule the chapter draws from that closing is the rule for evening: gather in and refuse the outside, disturb neither sinew nor bone, meet neither mist nor dew. Break the rule for these three times and the form is left worn and thin.

Senses in the classical corpus

The graphs 氣門

氣之門戶也，後世謂之汗孔、玄府

日西而陽氣已虚，氣門乃閉 — Suwen 3

What closes it 日西而陽氣已虚

陽氣既虚，門戶隨之而閉

日中而陽氣隆，日西而陽氣已虚，氣門乃閉 — Suwen 3

The three times of day 平旦、日中、日西

陽氣一日而有三時，氣門之開閉隨之

平旦人氣生，日中而陽氣隆，日西而陽氣已虚，氣門乃閉 — Suwen 3

The rule that follows 暮而收拒

日暮則收斂而拒邪，如門之閉

是故暮而收拒，無擾筋骨，無見霧露 — Suwen 3

Why the dew matters 無見霧露

門閉則當避霧露；門開則邪易入

無擾筋骨，無見霧露 — Suwen 3

What breaking it costs 反此三時，形乃困薄

違此三時，形困而薄

反此三時，形乃困薄 — Suwen 3

Occurrences in the classics

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

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1 passages

素問·生氣通天論 Suwen 3 · 生氣通天論 Read in context →

故陽氣者，一日而主外，平旦人氣生，日中而陽氣隆，日西而陽氣已虚，氣門乃閉。是故暮而收拒，無擾筋骨，無見霧露。反此三時，形乃困薄。故阳气者，一日而主外，平旦人气生，日中而阳气隆，日西而阳气已虚，气门乃闭。是故暮而收拒，无扰筋骨，无见雾露。反此三时，形乃困薄。

Gù yáng qì zhě, yī rì ér zhǔ wài, píng dàn rén qì shēng, rì zhōng ér yáng qì lóng, rì xī ér yáng qì yǐ xū, qì mén nǎi bì. shì gù mù ér shōu jù, wú rǎo jīn gǔ, wú jiàn wù lù. fǎn cǐ sān shí, xíng nǎi kùn bó.

The yang qi governs the outside through the day: at daybreak the human qi is born, at midday the yang qi is at its height, and at sunset it is already empty, so the gate of qi closes. Hence at dusk one gathers in and refuses the outside, disturbing neither sinew nor bone and meeting neither mist nor dew. To go against these three times of day leaves the form worn and thin.

**「氣門」本篇1見**；**「日西而陽氣已虚」之虚讀 xū**；**「平旦」見本站第五八二條，「人氣」見本站第五五六條**

Compounds built on this term

陽氣者，一日而主外

yáng qì zhě, yī rì ér zhǔ wài

the yang qi governs the outside by day

本篇1見

平旦人氣生

píng dàn rén qì shēng

at dawn the human qi is born

本篇1見

日西而陽氣已虚

rì xī ér yáng qì yǐ xū

at sunset the yang qi is already empty

本篇1見

暮而收拒

mù ér shōu jù

at dusk gather in and refuse

本篇1見

How it has been translated

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

This site	The gate of qi · qi men	the graph 門 is kept as a gate: the chapter argues from an image of opening and closing
Literal	the gate of the qi	accurate, and it keeps both halves visible
Descriptive	the pores	what later commentators take it to mean; right about the referent, but it loses the door

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-10-10

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