甚紀五分简体甚纪五分

shèn jì wǔ fēn

In the worst case, a difference of five parts · shen ji wu fen

Also rendered: In the worst case, a difference of five parts (this site; 紀 read as the reckoning, and the figure kept as the text gives it) · The extreme is five parts, the light case seven (readable; the two figures are of different things and the pair should be kept apart)

Cosmology

Reviewed · 2026-10-14

At a glance

Pinyin: shèn jì wǔ fēn
Simplified: 甚纪五分
Literal: 甚 jì — extreme; 紀 jì — here a reckoning, a way of counting; 五分 — five parts. The worst case differs by five parts, the light case by seven: the chapter's answer to how far a year can be out before the difference shows in disease.
Shuowen: **「甚紀五分」本篇1見，止在此句**；**全句曰「大要曰：甚紀五分，微紀七分，其差可見，此之謂也」**；**「紀」本篇18見，此處作「紀分」之紀，與「六氣正紀」之紀異用**；**上文「多少而差其分」，即此分之所自出**

In brief

How far out a year may be. The passage asks what happens when the qi above and the qi below do not match: 天氣不足，地氣隨之；地氣不足，天氣從之 — and then says how much of the difference will be visible. 大要曰：甚紀五分，微紀七分，其差可見. Read with the sentence before it (故上勝則天氣降而下，下勝則地氣遷而上，多少而差其分，微者小差，甚者大差，甚則位易氣交，易則大變生而病作矣), the figure is a threshold: the discrepancy is always there, and only when it grows does it turn into disease. It is the chapter’s last word on degree, and the only place in it where a difference is given a number.

Senses in the classical corpus

The phrase 甚紀五分

其差之甚者，以五分計

甚紀五分 — Suwen 71

Its counterpart 微紀七分

其差之微者，以七分計

微紀七分 — Suwen 71

Why 多少而差其分

上下之氣有多少，故差有分

多少而差其分 — Suwen 71

The steps 微者小差，甚者大差

差有小大，甚則位易

微者小差，甚者大差 — Suwen 71

When it becomes disease 易則大變生而病作矣

位易氣交則病作

大變生而病作矣 — Suwen 71

Its source 大要曰

古經之要語，引以證之

大要曰 — Suwen 71

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

Suwen 71 Suwen 71 · 六元正紀大論 Read in context →

帝曰：天地之氣，盈虚何如？歧伯曰：天氣不足，地氣隨之；地氣不足，天氣從之，運居其中，而常先也。惡所不勝，歸所同和，隨運歸從，而生其病也。故上勝則天氣降而下，下勝則地氣遷而上，多少而差其分，微者小差，甚者大差，甚則位易氣交，易則大變生而病作矣。大要曰：甚紀五分，微紀七分，其差可見，此之謂也。帝曰：天地之气，盈虚何如？歧伯曰：天气不足，地气随之；地气不足，天气从之，运居其中，而常先也。恶所不胜，归所同和，随运归从，而生其病也。故上胜则天气降而下，下胜则地气迁而上，多少而差其分，微者小差，甚者大差，甚则位易气交，易则大变生而病作矣。大要曰：甚纪五分，微纪七分，其差可见，此之谓也。

Dì yuē: tiān dì zhī qì, yíng xū hé rú? Qí bó yuē: tiān qì bù zú, dì qì suí zhī; dì qì bù zú, tiān qì cóng zhī, yùn jū qí zhōng, ér cháng xiān yě. Wù suǒ bù shèng, guī suǒ tóng hé, suí yùn guī cóng, ér shēng qí bìng yě. Gù shàng shèng zé tiān qì jiàng ér xià, xià shèng zé dì qì qiān ér shàng, duō shǎo ér chài qí fēn, wēi zhě xiǎo chài, shèn zhě dà chài, shèn zé wèi yì qì jiāo, yì zé dà biàn shēng ér bìng zuò yǐ. Dà yào yuē: shèn jì wǔ fēn, wēi jì qī fēn, qí chài kě xiàn, cǐ zhī wèi yě.

Huang Di said: as to the qi of heaven and earth, what of their fullness and emptiness? Qi Bo said: when the qi of heaven falls short the qi of earth follows it; when the qi of earth falls short the qi of heaven follows it; the circuit lies between them and is always first. It dislikes what it does not prevail over and returns to what is in harmony with it; following the circuit it returns and follows, and so illness arises. Therefore when what is above prevails the qi of heaven descends, and when what is below prevails the qi of earth moves up; by more and less their portions differ: the slight make a small difference, the severe a great difference, and in the extreme the positions change places at the junction of qi; and when they change, great changes arise and illness occurs. The Great Compendium says: the severe record differs by five parts and the slight record by seven; and so the difference can be seen. This is what it means.

**「甚紀五分」本篇1見，即此句**；**此段論天地之氣盈虚：天氣不足則地氣隨之，上勝則天氣降而下，多少而差其分**；**末引大要曰「甚紀五分，微紀七分，其差可見」，為全篇惟一以分數言差者**

Compounds built on this term

氣交

qì jiāo

the meeting of the qi

本篇10見；位易氣交則病作

其差可見

qí chà kě jiàn

the difference can be seen

本篇一見

上下交互

shàng xià jiāo hù

above and below interchanging

本篇一見

大要

dà yào

the great summary

本篇一見；引古經之要語

How it has been translated

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

This site	in the worst case, a difference of five parts	the only number the chapter gives to a difference, kept as it stands
Literal	extreme reckoning five parts	exact and opaque
Gloss	the largest departure of the year's qi from its place, measured at five parts	right, and long

Entry status

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2026-10-14

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