榮 简体 荣

róng

The bloom

Also rendered: the bloom (Literal, and botanical) · lustre (Reads 榮 as the shine) · nourishment (The usual modern sense of 榮, wrong here) · the flourishing (Too general)

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
róng
Simplified
荣
Literal
榮 the flowering of a tree, and so the show a thing puts out where it can be seen. In this chapter it is the word for the visible sign of an organ's state.
Shuowen
《說文解字》:榮,桐木也(引申為華、為榮華、為血色之見於外者)。

In brief

The chapter’s word for what shows. The heart’s bloom is the complexion, the lung’s the body hair, the liver’s the nails, the spleen’s the lips, the kidney’s the hair of the head — each organ is given a tissue it is matched with and a place where that tissue can be read. At the end of the colour table the five images wrapped in white silk are called 外榮, the outer bloom that the five storing organs generate. Across the whole chapter the test is the same: a bloom gleams through, a dead colour lies on the surface.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
Where an organ can be seen 其榮色也/其榮毛也/其榮爪也/其榮脣也/其榮髮也
Each organ is given one place
心之合脉也,其榮色也 — Suwen 10
2
The healthy colour, named at the close 外榮
The five images wrapped in white silk
此五藏所生之外榮也 — Suwen 10

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
8 passages
素問·五藏生成 Suwen 10 · 五藏生成 Read in context →
生於心,如以縞裹朱;生於肺,如以縞裹紅;生於肝,如以縞裹紺;生於脾,如以縞裹栝樓實;生於腎,如以縞裹紫,此五藏所生之外榮也。 生于心,如以缟裹朱;生于肺,如以缟裹红;生于肝,如以缟裹绀;生于脾,如以缟裹栝楼实;生于肾,如以缟裹紫,此五藏所生之外荣也。
shēng yú xīn, rú yǐ gǎo guǒ zhū; shēng yú fèi, rú yǐ gǎo guǒ hóng; shēng yú gān, rú yǐ gǎo guǒ gàn; shēng yú pí, rú yǐ gǎo guǒ guā lóu shí; shēng yú shèn, rú yǐ gǎo guǒ zǐ, cǐ wǔ zàng suǒ shēng zhī wài róng yě.
Life in the heart is like vermilion wrapped in white silk; in the lung, like red silk wrapped in white silk; in the liver, like a thin blue-green wrapped in white silk; in the spleen, like the fruit of the trichosanthes wrapped in white silk; in the kidney, like purple wrapped in white silk — this is the outer bloom that the five storing organs generate.
本篇「榮」二用:篇首以「其榮」言五藏外見之處,篇末以「外榮」總括縞裹五色之象。縞讀 gǎo,白絹;紺讀 gàn。
素問·湯液醪醴論 Suwen 14 · 湯液醪醴論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:鍼石,道也。精神不進,志意不治,故病不可愈。今精壞神去,榮衛不可復收。何者?嗜欲無窮,而憂患不止,精氣弛壞,榮泣衛除,故神去之而病不愈也。 岐伯曰:针石,道也。精神不进,志意不治,故病不可愈。今精坏神去,荣卫不可复收。何者?嗜欲无穷,而忧患不止,精气弛坏,荣泣卫除,故神去之而病不愈也。
qí bó yuē: zhēn shí, dào yě. jīng shén bù jìn, zhì yì bù zhì, gù bìng bù kě yù. jīn jīng huài shén qù, yíng wèi bù kě fù shōu. hé zhě? shì yù wú qióng, ér yōu huàn bù zhǐ, jīng qì chí huài, yíng sè wèi chú, gù shén qù zhī ér bìng bù yù yě.
Qibo says: the needle and the stone are only a method. If essence and spirit do not advance and purpose and intention are not governed, the illness cannot be cured. Now the essence is ruined and the spirit has departed, and the construction and defence can no longer be gathered back. Why? Because appetites are endless and cares never stop: the essence-qi slackens and decays, the construction stagnates and the defence is dispelled, and so the spirit leaves and the illness is not cured.
「榮衛不可復收」「榮泣衛除」:榮通「營」,泣音 sè、通「澀」,凝澀不行;除,去也。王冰:「榮泣衛除,故神去之而病不愈。」與第一篇「營衛之行,不失其常」相表裡:營衛常則形與神俱,營衛除則神去而病不愈。
素問·離合真邪論 Suwen 27 · 離合真邪論 Read in context →
經言氣之盛衰,左右傾移,以上調下,以左調右,有餘不足,補冩於榮輸,余知之矣。此皆榮衛之傾移,虚實之所生,非邪氣從外入於經也。 经言气之盛衰,左右倾移,以上调下,以左调右,有余不足,补写于荣输,余知之矣。此皆荣卫之倾移,虚实之所生,非邪气从外入于经也。
Jīng yán qì zhī shèng shuāi, zuǒ yòu qīng yí, yǐ shàng tiáo xià, yǐ zuǒ tiáo yòu, yǒu yú bù zú, bǔ xiè yú róng shù, yú zhī zhī yǐ.Cǐ jiē róng wèi zhī qīng yí, xū shí zhī suǒ shēng, fēi xié qì cóng wài rù yú jīng yě.
The classic speaks of the waxing and waning of qi, of its tipping and shifting to left and right, of treating the lower by means of the upper and the right by means of the left, of surplus and insufficiency, and of supplementing and draining at the bloom and transport points. All this I know. But all of these are merely the tipping and shifting of the bloom and defence, and the vacuity and repletion that arise from it. They are not cases of an evil qi entering the channels from outside.
本篇榮字二見,皆在「榮」與「衛」並舉或與「輸」連言之處:「補冩於榮輸」「此皆榮衛之傾移」。**「輸」讀 shù**,即五輸穴之輸,與本站俞字條(id 557)同讀;「榮輸」謂滎穴與輸穴,是淺取之穴。「傾移」(「傾」讀 qīng,「移」讀 yí)是本篇形容榮衛失常之詞:不是虛實,而是偏傾移易。故下文說「此皆榮衛之傾移,虚實之所生」,把榮衛之偏傾當作虛實之因,與篇末「榮衛散亂」遙遙相對——傾移尚有定向,散亂則無復條理。
素問·剌熱 Suwen 32 · 剌熱 Read in context →
太陽之脉,色榮顴骨,熱病也,榮未交,曰今且得汗,待時而已。 太阳之脉,色荣颧骨,热病也,荣未交,曰今且得汗,待时而已。
Tài yáng zhī mài, sè róng quán gǔ, rè bìng yě, róng wèi jiāo, yuē jīn qiě dé hàn, dài shí ér yǐ.
When the colour of the taiyang vessel flourishes at the cheekbone, it is a heat disease. If the flourishing has not yet joined, one may say that sweating is about to come; wait for the time and it will end.
「榮」之目於本站已立(id 413),本篇五見而義專在色:「太陽之脉,色榮顴骨,熱病也,榮未交,曰今且得汗,待時而已」——**「榮」讀 róng,本篇五見**(色榮×2、榮未交×2、榮在骶),不作「荣」——榮者,色之潤澤而顯見也;**與「營」(營衛之營)義別,本篇不作「營」**;「太」讀 tài;「陽」讀 yáng;「之」讀 zhī;**「脉」讀 mài,本篇六見,無一作「脈」**;「色」讀 sè;**「顴」讀 quán,本篇三見**;「骨」讀 gǔ;「熱」讀 rè;「病」讀 bìng;「也」讀 yě;「未」讀 wèi;**「交」讀 jiāo,本篇二見**——舊注多歧:一說交為交合,榮色未與邪氣相合則病淺;一說交當作夭(色夭澤也),榮未夭則正氣未敗,**二說並存,照錄底本作「交」**;「曰」讀 yuē;「今」讀 jīn;「且」讀 qiě,將也;「得」讀 dé;「汗」讀 hàn;「待」讀 dài;**「時」讀 shí,本篇二見**,不作「时」;「而」讀 ér;「已」讀 yǐ。**此節開「望色決死生」之法**:榮未交則將汗而愈,下文「與…脉爭見者,死期不過三日」則為色已爭之危候——一「未交」一「爭見」,吉凶之判在於此。
素問·逆調論 Suwen 34 · 逆調論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:榮氣虚,衛氣實也,榮氣虚則不仁,衛氣虚,則不用,榮衛俱虚,則不仁且不用,肉如故也。 歧伯曰:荣气虚,卫气实也,荣气虚则不仁,卫气虚,则不用,荣卫俱虚,则不仁且不用,肉如故也。
Qí bó yuē: róng qì xū, wèi qì shí yě, róng qì xū zé bù rén, wèi qì xū, zé bù yòng, róng wèi jù xū, zé bù rén qiě bù yòng, ròu rú gù yě.
Qi Bo says: the construction qi is vacuous and the defence qi replete. When construction qi is vacuous there is numbness; when defence qi is vacuous there is loss of use; when both are vacuous there is numbness together with loss of use, while the flesh still looks as it always did.
「榮」之目於本站已立(id 413),現收四條:第十篇「此五藏所生之外榮」以榮為藏之華見於外,第十四篇「榮衛不可復收」以榮與衛並舉,第二十七篇「此皆榮衛之傾移」同,第三十二篇「色榮顴骨」以榮為色之見。**本篇三見,皆作「榮氣」「榮衛」,而為諸條中言榮之為用最切者**——**「榮」讀 róng,本篇 3 見(榮氣二、榮衛一)**——**底本从木,不作「營」(「營」)**:榮者榮養之榮,營者營運之營,二字義別;與第三十二篇「色榮顴骨」之作「榮」者同字,而與他篇「營衛」之作「營」者不同,各從底本;「氣」讀 qì;**「虚」讀 xū,本篇 6 見**;「則」讀 zé;「不」讀 bù;**「仁」讀 rén,本篇二見(不仁二)**——肌膚麻木、不知痛癢之謂;「衛」讀 wèi;「實」讀 shí;「俱」讀 jù;「且」讀 qiě;「用」讀 yòng;「肉」讀 ròu;「如」讀 rú;「故」讀 gù;「也」讀 yě。**本篇之義:榮主血而行於脈中,榮虚則肌膚無所榮,故不仁**——此即「肉苛」之名所由來:肌膚如故而失其知覺。**與第十篇「此五藏所生之外榮」互注**:彼言五藏之華見於外而為色(生於心如以縞裹朱之類),此言榮氣之虚見於內而為不仁——**一則榮之見,一則榮之虚;合觀乃見榮之為物**。**與第三十二篇「色榮顴骨」對讀尤見同字異用**:彼之榮為動詞,色之見於骨上也;此之榮為名詞,行於脈中之氣也。本篇下文「榮衛俱虚,則不仁且不用」,**以榮衛對舉而定二證之分界,是《素問》言榮衛最整齊之一例**。
素問·舉痛論 Suwen 39 · 舉痛論 Read in context →
悲則心系急,肺布葉舉,而上焦不通,榮衛不散,熱氣在中,故氣消矣。 悲则心系急,肺布叶举,而上焦不通,荣卫不散,热气在中,故气消矣。
Bēi zé xīn xì jí, fèi bù yè jǔ, ér shàng jiāo bù tōng, róng wèi bù sàn, rè qì zài zhōng, gù qì xiāo yǐ.
Sorrow draws the connections of the heart tight; the lobes of the lung spread and lift, the upper burner is blocked, the constructive and defensive do not disperse, and hot qi sits within — hence qi is consumed.
**本篇「榮」3見**,**皆在「榮衛」一詞之中**,**全篇無「營」(「營」)字**——**榮衛即後世之營衛,本篇从底本作「榮」**。**本站「榮」(#413)已收第十篇「五藏所生之外榮」、第十四篇「榮衛不可復收」、第二十七篇「榮衛之傾移」、第三十四篇「榮氣虚則不仁,衛氣虚則不用」**;**本篇之榮衛則以通利、不散、通三者言其用**:**喜則榮衛通利而氣緩,悲則榮衛不散而氣消,炅則榮衛通而氣泄**——**一通一不散,即緩與消之分**。「衛」讀 wèi,**本篇3見**;「散」讀 sàn,**讀 sàn,本篇3見**;「舉」讀 jǔ、**「葉」讀 yè、**「焦」讀 jiāo。
素問·五運行大論 Suwen 67 · 五運行大論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:東方生風,風生木,木生酸,酸生肝,肝生筋,筋生心。其在天爲𤣥,在人爲道,在地爲化,化生五味,道生智,𤣥生神,化生氣。神在天爲風,在地爲木,在體爲筋,在氣爲柔,在藏爲肝,其性爲暄,其德爲和,其用爲動,其色爲蒼,其化爲榮,其蟲毛,其政爲散,其令宣發,其變摧拉,其眚爲隕,其味爲酸,其志爲怒,怒傷肝,悲勝怒,風傷肝,燥勝風,酸傷筋,辛勝酸。 歧伯曰:东方生风,风生木,木生酸,酸生肝,肝生筋,筋生心。其在天为玄,在人为道,在地为化,化生五味,道生智,玄生神,化生气。神在天为风,在地为木,在体为筋,在气为柔,在藏为肝,其性为暄,其德为和,其用为动,其色为苍,其化为荣,其虫毛,其政为散,其令宣发,其变摧拉,其眚为陨,其味为酸,其志为怒,怒伤肝,悲胜怒,风伤肝,燥胜风,酸伤筋,辛胜酸。
Qí bó yuē: dōng fāng shēng fēng, fēng shēng mù, mù shēng suān, suān shēng gān, gān shēng jīn, jīn shēng xīn. Qí zài tiān wéi xuán, zài rén wéi dào, zài dì wéi huà, huà shēng wǔ wèi, dào shēng zhì, xuán shēng shén, huà shēng qì. Shén zài tiān wéi fēng, zài dì wéi mù, zài tǐ wéi jīn, zài qì wéi róu, zài zàng wéi gān, qí xìng wéi xuān, qí dé wéi hé, qí yòng wéi dòng, qí sè wéi cāng, qí huà wéi róng, qí chóng máo, qí zhèng wéi sàn, qí lìng xuān fā, qí biàn cuī lā, qí shěng wéi yǔn, qí wèi wéi suān, qí zhì wéi nù, nù shāng gān, bēi shèng nù, fēng shāng gān, zào shèng fēng, suān shāng jīn, xīn shèng suān.
Qi Bo said: the east generates wind, wind generates wood, wood generates sour, sour generates the liver, the liver generates the sinews, and the sinews generate the heart. In heaven it is the dark, in the human being it is the dao, in earth it is transformation; transformation generates the five flavours, the dao generates wisdom, the dark generates spirit, and transformation generates qi. Spirit is wind in heaven, wood in earth, sinew in the body, softness in qi, and the liver among the viscera. Its nature is warmth, its virtue harmony, its action movement, its colour blue-green, its transformation flowering, its creature the hairy, its governance dispersal, its command to spread and issue forth, its change to snap and pull, its calamity falling, its flavour sour, and its emotion anger. Anger harms the liver and sorrow overcomes anger; wind harms the liver and dryness overcomes wind; sour harms the sinews and acridity overcomes sour.
「其化爲榮」——**「榮」本篇1見,止在東方一條**;**「其性爲暄,其德爲和,其用爲動,其色爲蒼,其化爲榮」是東方之五目**;**「榮」讀 róng,與第十篇「其榮色也」「其榮毛也」之榮同是一字而所指不同:彼為外見之華,此為化之一目**
素問·氣交變大論 Suwen 69 · 氣交變大論 Read in context →
帝曰:善。其不及何如?歧伯曰:悉乎哉問也。歲木不及,燥乃大行,生氣失應,草木晚榮,肅殺而甚,則剛木辟著,悉萎蒼乾,上應太白星。 帝曰:善。其不及何如?歧伯曰:悉乎哉问也。岁木不及,燥乃大行,生气失应,草木晚荣,肃杀而甚,则刚木辟著,悉萎苍干,上应太白星。
Dì yuē: shàn. Qí bù jí hé rú? Qí bó yuē: xī hū zāi wèn yě. Suì mù bù jí, zào nǎi dà xíng, shēng qì shī yìng, cǎo mù wǎn róng, sù shā ér shèn, zé gāng mù pì zhuó, xī wěi cāng gān, shàng yìng tài bái xīng.
Huang Di said: good. And what is it like when it falls short? Qi Bo said: how thorough the question is. In a year of wood falling short, dryness then moves greatly, the qi of growth loses its answering, and plants and trees flower late. If the severity and killing is extreme, the hard trees are split and broken and all of them wilt, blue-green and dry; it answers above to Venus.
「歲木不及,燥乃大行,生氣失應,草木晚榮」——**「榮」本篇6見:草木晚榮、草木再榮、物榮而下、乃折榮美、草木茂榮、其化生榮**;**本篇之榮皆草木之榮;五方之化亦以「生榮」為東方木之化**;**「榮」讀 róng**

Compounds built on this term

外榮
wài róng
the outer bloom
The name for the colour that gleams
華
huá
the flowering
The near synonym, used in 六節藏象論 for the same idea
合
hé
what an organ is matched with
心之合脉,肺之合皮,肝之合筋……
主
zhǔ
what it answers to
王冰:主,謂主與腎相畏也

How it has been translated

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

Common Englishnourishment / complexion榮 is usually rendered by its modern sense, which makes 其榮色也 read as if the heart nourished the face.
This sitethe bloomKept botanical: 榮 is what a tree puts out, and the chapter is about what an organ puts out where it can be seen. It is a sign, not a nourishment — the organ is not feeding the place, it is showing there.

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2026-09

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