Classica Sinica Medica

六化

liù huà

The six transformations · liu hua

Also rendered: The six transformations (this site; 化 is the outcome a qi brings about when it is unopposed, which the chapter sets against 變) · The six transformations of the qi (longer, and it says which qi; the chapter's own list never adds the word)

Cosmology

Reviewed · 2026-10-14

At a glance

Pinyin
liù huà
Simplified
六化
Literal
化 huà — to transform, the working by which a qi brings about what belongs to it: 厥陰司天，其化以風, 少陰司天，其化以熱. 六 liù — six, one to each qi. The chapter states the verb six times in a row before it collects them into one name, and the name it collects them into is this one: 必明六化分治.
Shuowen
《說文》：化，教行也。「六化」本篇1見，在六段之末「必明六化分治」；「化」字本篇55見，為全篇用字之要；六化之目具於二處：一在「厥陰司天，其化以風」以下六句，一在「厥陰司天爲風化」以下六段；「化生」本篇2見，「物化」本篇2見，皆此字之屬；底本無「正化」「邪氣化」之目，其名見於他篇

In brief

The six transformations: what each of the six qi brings about. The chapter gives them twice and names them once. First as a verb, in six clauses — 厥陰司天，其化以風；少陰司天，其化以熱；太陰司天，其化以濕；少陽司天，其化以火；陽明司天，其化以燥；太陽司天，其化以寒 — and then as a settled product, each qi given four faces: 厥陰司天爲風化，在泉爲酸化，司氣爲蒼化，間氣爲動化. The name 六化 stands at the end of those six paragraphs, in the sentence that says what the list is for: 故治病者，必明六化分治，五味五色所生，五藏所宜，乃可以言盈虚，病生之緒也. Nothing in this chapter sets 化 against 變; the pairing of the two belongs to the discourse before it.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The six 風化、熱化、濕化、火化、燥化、寒化
六氣各有一化，與其本氣同
Each of the six qi has one transformation, the same as its own qi.
厥陰司天爲風化 — 素問·至真要大論
2
What it names 其化以風
一氣之化，以其所主者為名
A qi's transformation is named after what it governs.
厥陰司天，其化以風 — 素問·至真要大論
3
The four faces 司天、在泉、司氣、間氣
一氣四見，各繫一化
Each qi appears four times, each tied to one transformation.
在泉爲酸化 — 素問·至真要大論
4
The one that has none 不司氣化
少陰君火不主歲之成色
Shao yin, the ruler fire, does not govern the formed colour of the year.
不司氣化 — 素問·至真要大論
5
What it is for 六化分治
治病者必明之而後可言盈虚
The physician must understand this before speaking of excess and deficiency.
必明六化分治 — 素問·至真要大論
6
Its companions 五味五色所生，五藏所宜
化之見於味色藏者
The transformation as it shows in flavour, colour and viscus.
乃可以言盈虚 — 素問·至真要大論

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·至真要大論 Read in context →
太陽司天爲寒化，在泉爲鹹化，司氣爲𤣥化，間氣爲藏化。故治病者，必明六化分治，五味五色所生，五藏所宜，乃可以言盈虚，病生之緒也。 太阳司天为寒化，在泉为咸化，司气为𤣥化，间气为藏化。故治病者，必明六化分治，五味五色所生，五藏所宜，乃可以言盈虚，病生之緒也。
Tài yáng sī tiān wéi hán huà, zài quán wéi xián huà, sī qì wéi xuán huà, jiān qì wéi cáng huà. Gù zhì bìng zhě, bì míng liù huà fēn zhì, wǔ wèi wǔ sè suǒ shēng, wǔ zàng suǒ yí, nǎi kě yǐ yán yíng xū, bìng shēng zhī xù yě.
When greater yang governs the heaven, it is the cold transformation; lying in the spring, the salty transformation; in the qi it has charge of, the dark transformation; in the intercalary position, the storing transformation. Therefore one who treats illness must understand the six transformations dividing the governance, the flavours and colours each brings forth, and what suits each of the five viscera; only then can he speak of fullness and emptiness, and of the thread from which illness arises.
「六化」本篇1見，即此句；此句承上六段而言，六段各繫四化，此句總而名之；「必明六化分治」下又繫「五味五色所生，五藏所宜」，是化之落於味色藏者；「化」字本篇55見，化生、物化二詞亦在其中

Compounds built on this term

六化六變
liù huà liù biàn
the six transformations and the six changes
本篇一見，即全篇首句之所問
六化分治
liù huà fēn zhì
the six transformations divided and governed
本篇一見；六化各歸其位而後治可言
風化
fēng huà
the transformation of wind
本篇一見；厥陰司天爲風化
六氣
liù qì
the six qi
本篇6見；六化即六氣之化

How it has been translated

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

This sitethe six transformationseach qi's settled product, named in two graphs and set against its 變
Literalsix transformationsexact, and it does not say of what
Descriptivewhat each of the six qi brings about when it is at peaceclear, and unusable inside the chapter's own sentence

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-10-14

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