日晡所

rì bū suǒ

Late afternoon · ri bu suo

Also rendered: Late afternoon (This site) · Around the evening meal (Literal) · Shen-hour (Clock time)

Reviewed · 2026-10-31

At a glance

Pinyin
rì bū suǒ
Simplified
日晡所
Literal
日 rì is the sun and the day; 晡 bū is the meal taken in the late afternoon, and by extension the hours from about three to five; 所 suǒ here is not a place but a loan for 許, 'about, around'. The phrase therefore does not name an hour but a neighbourhood in time — toward the sinking of the sun — and in these chapters it is almost always joined to 潮熱, the tide-like fever that rises and falls on schedule.
Shuowen
**《說文》:「晡,申時食也。」** 引申爲申後之時,約當今十五至十七時。**「所」在此非處所,乃「許」之借**,表約略,猶言前後;與「日晡所」相對者,是「日晡」之定時,加「所」則鬆動。**六至十篇共四見**:第六篇一(行239)、第七篇一(行325)、第八篇二(行532、581)。**四見之中三見繫潮熱**,一見繫「發熱」,可見日晡是陽明熱聚之時,而非一病之名。

In brief

Toward late afternoon, roughly the hours of the watch of the monkey, when the sun begins to go down. In the 傷寒論 the phrase works as a clock for fever: at this hour the tide rises. It appears four times in chapters six to ten, and three of the four are joined to 潮熱 — in the chest fullness of a mistreated minor bupleurum case, in the deep chest knot of a twice-sweated and purged taiyang patient, and in the great qi-settling case with raving and seeing ghosts. The fourth governs simple fever that belongs to yang brightness, to be purged if the pulse is replete and sweated if it floats and is vacuous. The term marks a time, not a disease; what the time tells is that the heat has gathered in the yang brightness.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
日晡所發潮熱(柴胡證誤下) 日晡所發潮熱
胸脅滿而嘔,本柴胡證,医以丸藥下之,反微利;潮熱屬實,先宜小柴胡解外,後以柴胡加芒消
Chest and flank fullness with vomiting is a bupleurum pattern, but the physician purged with a pill and the bowels run a little. The tide-like fever at late afternoon marks repletion; release the exterior first with minor bupleurum, then follow with bupleurum plus mirabilite.
傷寒十三日不解,胸脅滿而嘔,日晡所發潮熱,已而微利。 — 辨太陽病脉證并治中第六
2
日晡所小有潮熱(大陷胸) 日晡所,小有潮熱
重發汗而復下之,津液兩傷,熱留胸腹;舌燥而渴、從心下至少腹鞕滿痛不可近,故主大陷胸
Sweated heavily and purged after, the fluids are twice injured and heat stays in the chest and abdomen: dry tongue, thirst, and from the pit of the stomach to the lower abdomen a hardness full and painful to touch. The great陷胸 decoction governs.
太陽病,重發汗,而復下之,不大便五六日,舌上燥而渴,日晡所,小有潮熱,從心下至少腹,鞕滿而痛不可近者,大陷胸湯主之。 — 辨太陽病脉證并治下第七
3
日晡所發潮熱(獨語如見鬼) 日晡所發潮熱,不惡寒,獨語如見鬼狀
吐下後不解,不大便五六日至十餘日,潮熱而獨語,燥屎已成;劇則不識人、循衣摸牀,宜大承氣
Unresolved after emesis and purging, no stool for five or six days and up to ten or more, fever at late afternoon, no aversion to cold, and the patient talks to himself as though seeing ghosts. Dry stool has formed; in severe cases he fails to recognise people and fingers his clothes and gropes the bed.
傷寒若吐若下後不解,不大便五六日,上至十餘日,日晡所發潮熱,不惡寒,獨語如見鬼狀。 — 辨陽明病脉證并治第八
4
日晡所發熱(屬陽明) 日晡所發熱者,屬陽明也
煩熱汗出則解,又如瘧狀,日晡發熱;脉實宜下,脉浮虚宜汗,一證而兩治,全憑脉斷
Restless heat that eases with sweating, then returns like a malaria: fever at late afternoon belongs to yang brightness. A replete pulse calls for purging, a floating vacuous pulse for sweating — one presentation, two treatments, decided by the pulse alone.
病人煩熱,汗出則解,又如瘧狀,日晡所發熱者,屬陽明也。 — 辨陽明病脉證并治第八

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
4 passages
辨太陽病脉證并治中第六·辨太陽病脉證并治中第六 Read in context →
傷寒十三日不解,胸脅滿而嘔,日晡所發潮熱,已而微利。此本柴胡證,下之而不得利,今反利者,知醫以丸藥下之,非其治也。潮熱者實也,先宜小柴胡湯以解外,後以柴胡加芒消湯主之。 伤寒十三日不解,胸胁满而呕,日晡所发潮热,已而微利。此本柴胡证,下之而不得利,今反利者,知医以丸药下之,非其治也。潮热者实也,先宜小柴胡汤以解外,后以柴胡加芒消汤主之。
shāng hán shí sān rì bù jiě xiōng xié mǎn ér ǒu rì bū suǒ fā cháo rè yǐ ér wēi lì cǐ běn chái hú zhèng xià zhī ér bù dé lì jīn fǎn lì zhě zhī yī yǐ wán yào xià zhī fēi qí zhì yě cháo rè zhě shí yě xiān yí xiǎo chái hú tāng yǐ jiě wài hòu yǐ chái hú jiā máng xiāo tāng zhǔ zhī
In cold damage of thirteen days without resolution, there is fullness of the chest and flank with vomiting, tidal fever in the late afternoon, and afterwards slight diarrhoea. This was originally a Bupleurum case; purgation should not have produced diarrhoea, and since it has, the physician is known to have purged with pills, which is not the right treatment. Tidal fever means repletion: first use Minor Bupleurum Decoction to resolve the exterior, then Bupleurum plus Mirabilite Decoction.
潮熱屬實,而先解外後攻裏,可見日晡潮熱不必即下。
辨太陽病脉證并治下第七·辨太陽病脉證并治下第七 Read in context →
太陽病,重發汗,而復下之,不大便五六日,舌上燥而渴,日晡所,小有潮熱,從心下至少腹,鞕滿而痛不可近者,大陷胸湯主之。 太阳病,重发汗,而复下之,不大便五六日,舌上燥而渴,日晡所,小有潮热,从心下至少腹,硬满而痛不可近者,大陷胸汤主之。
tài yáng bìng chóng fā hàn ér fù xià zhī bù dà biàn wǔ liù rì shé shàng zào ér kě rì bū suǒ xiǎo yǒu cháo rè cóng xīn xià zhì shào fù yìng mǎn ér tòng bù kě jìn zhě dà xiàn xiōng tāng zhǔ zhī
In taiyang disease, after repeated sweating and then purgation, with no stool for five or six days, a dry tongue and thirst, slight tidal fever toward evening, and hardness and fullness from the epigastrium to the lower abdomen so painful that it cannot be touched, Major Chest-Binding Decoction governs it.
「小有潮熱」四字最細:熱未盛,而鞕滿已及少腹,故捨承氣而用陷胸。
辨陽明病脉證并治第八·辨陽明病脉證并治第八 Read in context →
傷寒若吐若下後不解,不大便五六日,上至十餘日,日晡所發潮熱,不惡寒,獨語如見鬼狀。若劇者,發則不識人,循衣摸牀,惕而不安,微喘直視,脉弦者生,濇者死,微者但發熱。讝語者,大承氣湯主之。若一服利,止後服。 伤寒若吐若下后不解,不大便五六日,上至十余日,日晡所发潮热,不恶寒,独语如见鬼状。若剧者,发则不识人,循衣摸床,惕而不安,微喘直视,脉弦者生,涩者死,微者但发热。讝语者,大承气汤主之。若一服利,止后服。
shāng hán ruò tǔ ruò xià hòu bù jiě bù dà biàn wǔ liù rì shàng zhì shí yú rì rì bū suǒ fā cháo rè bù wù hán dú yǔ rú jiàn guǐ zhuàng ruò jù zhě fā zé bù shí rén xún yī mō chuáng tì ér bù ān wēi chuǎn zhí shì mài xián zhě shēng sè zhě sǐ wēi zhě dàn fā rè zhān yǔ zhě dà chéng qì tāng zhǔ zhī ruò yī fú lì zhǐ hòu fú
When cold damage is not resolved after vomiting or purging, with no stool for five or six days up to more than ten, tidal fever at the hour of the late afternoon, no aversion to cold, and soliloquy as if seeing ghosts: in severe cases the attack brings loss of recognition, picking at clothes and feeling the bed, restless fear, slight panting, and fixed staring. A string-like pulse means life, a rough pulse death; in mild cases there is fever alone. With delirious speech, Major Qi-Ordering Decoction governs it; if one dose purges, the next is stopped.
日晡潮熱、獨語如見鬼、循衣摸牀,一線寫燥屎已成,輕重分生死。
辨陽明病脉證并治第八·辨陽明病脉證并治第八 Read in context →
病人煩熱,汗出則解,又如瘧狀,日晡所發熱者,屬陽明也。脉實者,宜下之,脉浮虚者,宜發汗。下之與大承氣湯,發汗宜桂枝湯。 病人烦热,汗出则解,又如疟状,日晡所发热者,属阳明也。脉实者,宜下之,脉浮虚者,宜发汗。下之与大承气汤,发汗宜桂枝汤。
bìng rén fán rè hàn chū zé jiě yòu rú nüè zhuàng rì bū suǒ fā rè zhě shǔ yáng míng yě mài shí zhě yí xià zhī mài fú xū zhě yí fā hàn xià zhī yǔ dà chéng qì tāng fā hàn yí guì zhī tāng
When the patient has irritable heat that resolves with sweat, and a malaria-like fever at the late afternoon, it belongs to yangming. A solid pulse calls for purging; a floating, empty pulse calls for sweating. For purging give Major Qi-Ordering Decoction; for sweating, Cinnamon Twig Decoction is suitable.
同一日晡發熱,脉實脉浮虚分下與汗,是不問時而問脉。

Compounds built on this term

日晡所
rì bū suǒ
late afternoon
辨陽明病脉證并治第八
日晡所發潮熱
rì bū suǒ fā cháo rè
tide-like fever at late afternoon
辨陽明病脉證并治第八
潮熱
cháo rè
tide-like fever
辨陽明病脉證并治第八
申時
shēn shí
the watch of the monkey
辨陽明病脉證并治第八

How it has been translated

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

This sitelate afternoonplain, and keeps the vagueness of 所
Literalat the sun's evening meal, aboutexact, clumsy
Clinicalshen-hour feverprecise, but turns a phrase into a clock

Entry status

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2026-10-31

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