寸口

cùn kǒu

Cunkou · the wrist pulse

Also rendered: the inch opening (Word-for-word) · cunkou (Pinyin) · the radial pulse (Anatomical)

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
cùn kǒu
Simplified
寸口
Literal
寸 the inch, the measure of one 寸 back from the wrist crease; 口 the opening, the mouth. The inch-opening.
Shuowen
《說文解字》:寸,十分也(人手卻一寸動脈謂之寸口);口,人所以言食也。

In brief

The pulse at the wrist, and the place that became the standard one to feel it. In this chapter it is the yin half of the comparison: one degree fuller means ceasing yin, two lesser yin, three greater yin, four or more is 關陰. When both it and 人迎 are four times too full, the condition is 關格, and the chapter gives that a prognosis in plain words.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The pulse at the wrist 寸口
The inch-opening on the radial artery
寸口一盛病在厥陰 — Suwen 9
2
Its degrees 一盛、二盛、三盛、四盛已上
One, two, three degrees fuller — and four is 關陰
二盛病在少陰,三盛病在太陰,四盛已上爲關陰 — Suwen 9

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
6 passages
素問·六節藏象論 Suwen 9 · 六節藏象論 Read in context →
寸口一盛病在厥陰,二盛病在少陰,三盛病在太陰,四盛已上爲關陰。 寸口一盛病在厥阴,二盛病在少阴,三盛病在太阴,四盛已上为关阴。
cùn kǒu yī shèng bìng zài jué yīn, èr shèng bìng zài shào yīn, sān shèng bìng zài tài yīn, sì shèng yǐ shàng wéi guān yīn.
When the wrist pulse is once as full again, the disease is in the ceasing yin; twice, in the lesser yin; three times, in the greater yin; four times and more, it is called yin that shuts in.
寸口主三陰,與人迎主三陽相對成文。本篇全篇之末即以此二脈俱盛四倍以上為關格,而斷之曰「不能極於天地之精氣,則死矣」。
素問·玉版論要 Suwen 15 · 玉版論要 Read in context →
行奇𢘆之法,以太陰始。行所不勝曰逆,逆則死。行所勝曰從,從則活。八風四時之勝,終而復始,逆行一過,不復可數。論要畢矣。 行奇𢘆之法,以太阴始。行所不胜曰逆,逆则死。行所胜曰从,从则活。八风四时之胜,终而复始,逆行一过,不复可数。论要毕矣。
xíng qí héng zhī fǎ, yǐ tài yīn shǐ. xíng suǒ bù shèng yuē nì, nì zé sǐ. xíng suǒ shèng yuē cóng, cóng zé huó. bā fēng sì shí zhī shèng, zhōng ér fù shǐ, nì xíng yī guò, bù fù kě shǔ. lùn yào bì yǐ.
To practise the method of the anomalous, begin with the greater yin. To move into what does not conquer is called rebellion, and rebellion is death; to move into what one conquers is called compliance, and compliance means living. The conquests of the eight winds and the four seasons end and begin again; once the counter-movement has passed over, the count cannot be taken up again. The discourse on essentials is complete.
「行奇𢘆之法,以太陰始」——太陰之脈即寸口。本篇雖未直出「寸口」二字,而以太陰為行法之始,即第九篇「氣口」、本篇下文決所勝所不勝之地。與第九篇「寸口」同條:彼以寸口與人迎對舉,本篇則以之為奇𢘆之法所自始。
素問·平人氣象論 Suwen 18 · 平人氣象論 Read in context →
寸口脉沈而堅者,曰病在中。寸口脉浮而盛者,曰病在外。 寸口脉沉而坚者,曰病在中。寸口脉浮而盛者,曰病在外。
cùn kǒu mài chén ér jiān zhě, yuē bìng zài zhōng. cùn kǒu mài fú ér shèng zhě, yuē bìng zài wài.
A pulse at the inch opening that is sunken and hard indicates disease in the interior. A pulse at the inch opening that is floating and full indicates disease in the exterior.
「寸口脉沈而堅者,曰病在中。寸口脉浮而盛者,曰病在外」:本篇寸口之診,以浮沈辨內外,以短長辨上下。與第九篇「寸口」、第十七篇「尺内兩傍」同條而義進:第九篇以寸口主內、人迎主外,第十七篇詳列尺之部位以候臟腑,本篇則舉寸口之脈形以定病位——沈而堅者在內,浮而盛者在外,中手短者頭痛,中手長者足脛痛,中手促上擊者肩背痛。
素問·離合真邪論 Suwen 27 · 離合真邪論 Read in context →
其行於脉中,循循然,其至寸口中手也,時大時小,大則邪至,小則平,其行無常處,在陰與陽,不可爲度。 其行于脉中,循循然,其至寸口中手也,时大时小,大则邪至,小则平,其行无常处,在阴与阳,不可为度。
Qí xíng yú mài zhōng, xún xún rán, qí zhì cùn kǒu zhòng shǒu yě, shí dà shí xiǎo, dà zé xié zhì, xiǎo zé píng, qí xíng wú cháng chù, zài yīn yǔ yáng, bù kě wéi dù.
It moves along inside the pulse in an orderly sequence; when it reaches the wrist it strikes the finger, now large, now small. Large means the evil has arrived, small means all is level. Its movement has no fixed place — it may be in yin or in yang — and it cannot be measured in advance.
本篇論寸口,不說其部位而說邪氣至寸口之狀:「其至寸口中手也,時大時小」——大則邪至,小則平,是本篇候邪於寸口之法。**「中」讀 zhòng**,中於手、應於指下之義,本篇「中」四見,惟此處讀 zhòng,餘讀 zhōng;「寸」讀 cùn;「口」讀 kǒu。又「其行無常處,在陰與陽,不可爲度」一句,說明邪在寸口之變動不居——這正是下文「時來時去,故不常在」的實寫。
素問·通評虚實論 Suwen 28 · 通評虚實論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:絡氣不足,經氣有餘者,脉口熱而尺寒也,秋冬爲逆,春夏爲從,治主病者。 歧伯曰:络气不足,经气有余者,脉口热而尺寒也,秋冬为逆,春夏为从,治主病者。
Qí bó yuē: luò qì bù zú, jīng qì yǒu yú zhě, mài kǒu rè ér chǐ hán yě, qiū dōng wéi nì, chūn xià wéi cóng, zhì zhǔ bìng zhě.
Qibo says: when network-vessel qi is insufficient and channel qi is in excess, the pulse mouth is hot and the cubit is cold. In autumn and winter this is counterflow, in spring and summer it follows. Treat the disease that is in charge.
本篇言「脉口」而不言「寸口」,「脉口熱而尺寒」「脉口寒濇」二見,「脉口」即本站此條之寸口——《內經》中寸口、脉口、氣口三名而同地,本篇獨用「脉口」,可補此條之所未備。**「脉」讀 mài,本篇二十五見**,底本皆作脉,不作「脈」;「寸」讀 cùn,本篇三見(寸脉、脉口之位、五寸之寸)。本篇寸尺對舉凡三節:經絡俱實(寸急尺緩)、絡不足經有餘(脉口熱尺寒)、經虚絡滿(尺熱滿脉口寒濇),皆以寸尺之寒熱定虛實之所在。
Suwen 74 Suwen 74 · 至真要大論 Read in context →
帝曰:夫子言察陰陽所在而調之,論言人迎與寸口相應,若引繩,小大齊等,命曰平。陰之所在,寸口何如?歧伯曰:視歲南北,可知之矣。帝曰:願卒聞之。歧伯曰:北政之歲,少陰在泉,則寸口不應;厥陰在泉,則右不應;太陰在泉,則左不應。南政之歲,少陰司天,則寸口不應;厥陰司天,則右不應;太陰司天,則左不應;諸不應者,反其診則見矣。帝曰:尺𠉀何如? 帝曰:夫子言察阴阳所在而调之,论言人迎与寸口相应,若引繩,小大齐等,命曰平。阴之所在,寸口何如?歧伯曰:视岁南北,可知之矣。帝曰:愿卒闻之。歧伯曰:北政之岁,少阴在泉,则寸口不应;厥阴在泉,则右不应;太阴在泉,则左不应。南政之岁,少阴司天,则寸口不应;厥阴司天,则右不应;太阴司天,则左不应;诸不应者,反其诊则见矣。帝曰:尺候何如?
Dì yuē: fū zǐ yán chá yīn yáng suǒ zài ér tiáo zhī, lùn yán rén yíng yǔ cùn kǒu xiāng yìng, ruò yǐn shéng, xiǎo dà qí děng, mìng yuē píng. Yīn zhī suǒ zài, cùn kǒu hé rú? Qí bó yuē: shì suì nán běi, kě zhī zhī yǐ. Dì yuē: yuàn zú wén zhī. Qí bó yuē: běi zhèng zhī suì, shào yīn zài quán, zé cùn kǒu bù yìng; jué yīn zài quán, zé yòu bù yìng; tài yīn zài quán, zé zuǒ bù yìng. Nán zhèng zhī suì, shào yīn sī tiān, zé cùn kǒu bù yìng; jué yīn sī tiān, zé yòu bù yìng; tài yīn sī tiān, zé zuǒ bù yìng; zhū bù yìng zhě, fǎn qí zhěn zé xiàn yǐ. Dì yuē: chǐ hòu hé rú?
Huang Di said: you say, observe where yin and yang are and tune them, and the discourse says the man-ying and the inch opening answer each other like a drawn cord, equal in great and small, and this is called level. Where yin lies, what of the inch opening? Qi Bo said: look at whether the year is southern or northern, and you may know. Huang Di said: I would hear it to the end. Qi Bo said: in a year of northern governance, when lesser yin lies in the spring the inch opening does not answer; when ceasing yin lies in the spring, the right does not answer; when greater yin lies in the spring, the left does not answer. In a year of southern governance, when lesser yin governs the heaven the inch opening does not answer; when ceasing yin governs the heaven, the right does not answer; when greater yin governs the heaven, the left does not answer. In all these that do not answer, reverse the pulse-taking and it appears. Huang Di said: and the cubit?
**「寸口」本篇4見,皆在南北政一問之内**;**此段「人迎與寸口相應,若引繩,小大齊等,命曰平」,平人之診**

Compounds built on this term

人迎
rén yíng
the neck pulse
Read against it
關陰
guān yīn
yin that shuts in
Four degrees and more at the wrist
關格
guān gé
shut out and shut in
Both pulses four times too full

How it has been translated

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

Common Englishthe radial pulse / CunkouBoth current; the anatomical name is exact and hides the fact that this is the ordinary place a pulse is taken.
This sitethe wrist pulseThe chapter contrasts two places on the body, and the gloss supplies the literal name so that 一寸之口 is not lost — but the rendering says where, because where is the point.

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09

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