暑

shǔ

Summerheat · shu

Also rendered: summerheat (The standard single word; keeps 暑 as one graph) · summer heat (Two words; risks being read as the weather rather than the disease)

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
shǔ
Simplified
暑
Literal
暑 shǔ, the heat of summer. The graph is the season and the disease at once, which is exactly how chapter 31 uses it: the same cold damage that produces warm disease before the summer solstice produces summerheat disease after it. Nothing about the cause changes. What changes is the calendar, and the calendar changes the name.
Shuowen
《說文解字》:暑,熱也,从日者聲——「暑」讀 shǔ,本篇二見(後夏至日者爲病暑、暑當與汗皆出)。**「暑」與「熱」同訓而別**:《說文》暑熱互訓,然本篇「熱」為病狀之通名(十三見),「暑」為因時而立之專名(二見),各有所當。 「後」讀 hòu;「夏」讀 xià;「至」讀 zhì,**「夏至」讀 xià zhì**;「日」讀 rì;「者」讀 zhě;「爲」讀 wéi;「病」讀 bìng;「當」讀 dāng;「與」讀 yǔ;「汗」讀 hàn;「皆」讀 jiē;「出」讀 chū;「勿」讀 wù;「止」讀 zhǐ。**「暑當與汗皆出,勿止」是暑病治法之要言**。

In brief

The name chapter 31 gives to cold damage that has developed into heat after the summer solstice, the counterpart of warm disease before it. The chapter’s therapeutic note for summerheat is one line and is easy to get wrong: the sweat should be let out along with it, and must not be stopped. This is the same logic that governs the three-day rule earlier in the chapter — follow the direction the disease is already taking rather than opposing it.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The name given by the calendar 後夏至日者爲病暑
夏至後發者名暑
後夏至日者爲病暑 — Suwen 31
2
Its counterpart 先夏至日者爲病温
夏至前發者名温
先夏至日者爲病温 — Suwen 31
3
What both come from 凡病傷寒而成温者
温與暑同出於傷寒
凡病傷寒而成温者 — Suwen 31
4
Its treatment 暑當與汗皆出,勿止
暑隨汗泄,不可止汗
暑當與汗皆出,勿止 — Suwen 31
5
The general name beneath both 今夫熱病者,皆傷寒之類也
温、暑皆熱病,皆本於寒
今夫熱病者,皆傷寒之類也 — Suwen 31
6
The prohibition that follows 病熱少愈,食肉則復
暑病亦當守熱病之飲食禁
病熱少愈,食肉則復 — Suwen 31

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
11 passages
素問·熱論 Suwen 31 · 熱論 Read in context →
暑當與汗皆出,勿止。 暑当与汗皆出,勿止。
Shǔ dāng yǔ hàn jiē chū, wù zhǐ.
In summerheat the sweat should be let out along with it; do not stop it.
全篇末句。「暑」讀 shǔ,本篇二見;**「當」讀 dāng,應當也,本篇二見**,與上文「病熱當何禁之」之「當」同讀 dāng,不讀 dàng;「與」讀 yǔ,同、隨也;**「汗」讀 hàn,本篇三見**;「皆」讀 jiē;「出」讀 chū;**「勿」讀 wù,禁戒之辭**;**「止」讀 zhǐ**——與上文「渴止」之自止者異,此為人止之,即不可用止汗之法。**此與上文「未滿三日者可汗」同為因勢利導之法**:暑邪在表,當因勢而發之;若見汗而遽止之,則暑邪內閉,其病益深。
素問·瘧論 Suwen 35 · 瘧論 Read in context →
此皆得之夏傷於暑,熱氣盛,藏於皮膚之内,腸胃之外,此榮氣之所舍也。 此皆得之夏伤于暑,热气盛,藏于皮肤之内,肠胃之外,此荣气之所舍也。
Cǐ jiē dé zhī xià shāng yú shǔ, rè qì shèng, cáng yú pí fū zhī nèi, cháng wèi zhī wài, cǐ róng qì zhī suǒ shè yě.
All this is got from being damaged by summerheat in summer: the hot qi is exuberant and lodges inside the skin and outside the stomach and intestines — which is where the construction qi abides.
「暑」之目於本站已立(id 953),所收一條(第三十一篇:後夏至日者為病暑)。**本篇「暑」字4見**:夏傷於暑、夏傷於大暑、因遇大暑、論言夏傷於暑,**與第三十一篇之暑為同字同義,而彼言其為病,此言其為因**。「此」讀 cǐ;「皆」讀 jiē;「得」讀 dé;「之」讀 zhī;「夏」讀 xià,本篇 5 見;「傷」讀 shāng,本篇 9 見,不作「伤」(「伤」);「於」讀 yú;「暑」讀 shǔ;「熱」讀 rè;「氣」讀 qì;「盛」讀 shèng;「藏」讀 cáng,讀 cáng;「皮」讀 pí;「膚」讀 fū;「内」讀 nèi;「腸」讀 cháng;「胃」讀 wèi;「外」讀 wài;「榮」讀 róng,本篇惟此一見,**不作「營」(「營」)**;「所」讀 suǒ;「舍」讀 shè;「也」讀 yě。**「夏傷於暑,熱氣盛,藏於皮膚之内,腸胃之外」十六字,是本篇瘧病原之總綱**,**亦「夏傷於暑,秋必病瘧」一語之所本**。**與本站「暑」條所收第三十一篇「凡病傷寒而成温者,先夏至日者為病温,後夏至日者為病暑」相發**:**彼以夏至分温暑,此以夏暑為秋瘧之因**——**彼辨二病之名,此明一病之源**。**「藏於皮膚之内,腸胃之外」九字最宜與上文「此令人汗空疏,腠理開」合觀**:**邪之所藏即榮氣之所舍**,**與本站「榮氣」條所收第三十四篇「榮氣虚則不仁」為一舍一病**。
素問·刺志論 Suwen 53 · 刺志論 Read in context →
氣虚身熱,得之傷暑。 气虚身热,得之伤暑。
Qì xū shēn rè, dé zhī shāng shǔ.
qi vacuous while the body is hot — this is got from summerheat damage.
「氣虚身熱,得之傷「暑」讀 shǔ」——**本篇「暑」1見,讀 shǔ**;**「傷暑」者傷於暑邪——與第三十五篇「夏傷於暑」同義**;「熱」讀 rè、**本篇「熱」4見,讀 rè**;**本篇「氣虚身熱」2見而異指**:**一為五反之首(「此謂反也」),一為得之傷暑之驗**——**前為反常之證,後為致病之因**;**本目既有二證(ch31、ch35)之外,本篇為第三證**
素問·調經論 Suwen 62 · 調經論 Read in context →
其生於陽者,得之風雨寒暑;其生於陰者,得之飲食居處,陰陽喜怒。 其生于阳者,得之风雨寒暑;其生于阴者,得之饮食居处,阴阳喜怒。
Qí shēng yú yáng zhě, dé zhī fēng yǔ hán shǔ; qí shēng yú yīn zhě, dé zhī yǐn shí jū chǔ, yīn yáng xǐ nù.
What arises in the yang is got from wind, rain, cold and heat. What arises in the yin is got from food and drink, from lodging and place, and from the yin and yang of joy and anger.
「其生於陽者,得之風雨寒暑」——**「暑」本篇1見,在邪之所生一節中**:**邪之生於陽者,得之風雨寒暑——風雨寒暑四者並舉,與「飲食居處,陰陽喜怒」之生於陰者相對**;**此處之暑為六淫之暑,非「膝中熱也」之引申**;**「暑」讀 shǔ**
素問·天元紀大論 Suwen 66 · 天元紀大論 Read in context →
鬼臾區曰:臣積考太始天元冊文曰:太虚廖廓,肇基化元。萬物資始,五運終天。布氣真靈,總統坤元。九星懸朗,七曜周旋。曰陰曰陽,曰柔曰剛。幽顯既位,寒暑弛張。生生化化,品物咸章。臣斯十世,此之謂也。 鬼臾区曰:臣积考太始天元册文曰:太虚廖廓,肇基化元。万物资始,五运终天。布气真灵,总统坤元。九星悬朗,七曜周旋。曰阴曰阳,曰柔曰刚。幽显既位,寒暑弛张。生生化化,品物咸章。臣斯十世,此之谓也。
Guǐ yú qū yuē: chén jī kǎo tài shǐ tiān yuán cè wén yuē: tài xū liáo kuò, zhào jī huà yuán. Wàn wù zī shǐ, wǔ yùn zhōng tiān. Bù qì zhēn líng, zǒng tǒng kūn yuán. Jiǔ xīng xuán lǎng, qī yào zhōu xuán. Yuē yīn yuē yáng, yuē róu yuē gāng. Yōu xiǎn jì wèi, hán shǔ chí zhāng. Shēng shēng huà huà, pǐn wù xián zhāng. Chén sī shí shì, cǐ zhī wèi yě.
Gui Yu Qu said: your servant has examined the text of the Tai Shi Tian Yuan Ce through generations, and it says: the great void is vast and unbounded, and it laid the foundation of the source of transformation. The ten thousand things depend on it for their beginning, and the five circuits run their course to the end of heaven. It spreads the qi of the true and the numinous, and governs the primal earth. The nine stars hang bright, the seven luminaries circle in their courses. There is yin and there is yang, there is the yielding and there is the hard. Once the hidden and the manifest have taken their positions, cold and summer heat relax and draw taut. Generating and generating, transforming and transforming, the ordered things are all displayed. Ten generations of my family have handed this down; this is what is meant.
「寒暑弛張」——**「暑」讀 shǔ,本篇3見**;**「弛張」讀 chí zhāng,弛者緩也,張者急也,寒暑往來之謂**;**此句出本篇所引《太始天元冊文》,其上文云「幽顯既位」**;**「幽」讀 yōu;「顯」讀 xiǎn;「既」讀 jì**
素問·五運行大論 Suwen 67 · 五運行大論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:大氣舉之也。燥以乾之,暑以蒸之,風以動之,濕以潤之,寒以堅之,火以温之。故風寒在下,燥熱在上,濕氣在中,火遊行其閒,寒暑六入,故令虚而生化也。 歧伯曰:大气举之也。燥以干之,暑以蒸之,风以动之,湿以润之,寒以坚之,火以温之。故风寒在下,燥热在上,湿气在中,火游行其间,寒暑六入,故令虚而生化也。
Qí bó yuē: dà qì jǔ zhī yě. Zào yǐ gān zhī, shǔ yǐ zhēng zhī, fēng yǐ dòng zhī, shī yǐ rùn zhī, hán yǐ jiān zhī, huǒ yǐ wēn zhī. Gù fēng hán zài xià, zào rè zài shàng, shī qì zài zhōng, huǒ yóu xíng qí jiān, hán shǔ liù rù, gù lìng xū ér shēng huà yě.
Qi Bo said: the great qi holds it up. Dryness dries it, summer heat steams it, wind moves it, dampness moistens it, cold hardens it, fire warms it. And so wind and cold are below, dryness and heat above, damp qi in the middle, and fire wanders through between them; cold and summer heat enter in six ways, and this is what lets the emptiness bring forth generation and transformation.
「暑以蒸之」——**「暑」本篇7見**;**此段六氣並舉:燥以乾之、暑以蒸之、風以動之、濕以潤之、寒以堅之、火以温之**;**下文「暑勝則地熱」是其所勝,「寒暑六入」是其出入**;**南方一條「其性爲暑」又是一見,本篇暑字有二用**
素問·氣交變大論 Suwen 69 · 氣交變大論 Read in context →
歲火太過,炎暑流行,金肺受邪。民病瘧,少氣欬喘,血溢,血泄,注下,嗌燥耳聾,中熱,肩背熱。上應熒惑星。甚則胸中痛,脅支滿,脅痛,膺背肩胛間痛,兩臂内痛,身熱骨痛,而爲浸淫。收氣不行,長氣獨明,雨水霜寒。上應辰星。上臨少陰少陽,火燔爇,冰泉涸,物焦槁。病反譫妄狂越,欬喘息鳴,下甚血溢,泄不已。太淵絶者,死不治。上應熒惑星。 岁火太过,炎暑流行,金肺受邪。民病疟,少气欬喘,血溢,血泄,注下,嗌燥耳聋,中热,肩背热。上应荧惑星。甚则胸中痛,胁支满,胁痛,膺背肩胛间痛,两臂内痛,身热骨痛,而为浸淫。收气不行,长气独明,雨水霜寒。上应辰星。上临少阴少阳,火燔爇,冰泉涸,物焦槁。病反谵妄狂越,欬喘息鸣,下甚血溢,泄不已。太渊绝者,死不治。上应荧惑星。
Suì huǒ tài guò, yán shǔ liú xíng, jīn fèi shòu xié. Mín bìng nüè, shǎo qì kài chuǎn, xuè yì, xuè xiè, zhù xià, yì zào ěr lóng, zhōng rè, jiān bèi rè. Shàng yìng yíng huò xīng. Shèn zé xiōng zhōng tòng, xié zhī mǎn, xié tòng, yīng bèi jiān jiǎ jiān tòng, liǎng bì nèi tòng, shēn rè gǔ tòng, ér wéi jìn yín. Shōu qì bù xíng, zhǎng qì dú míng, yǔ shuǐ shuāng hán. Shàng yìng chén xīng. Shàng lín shào yīn shào yáng, huǒ fán ruò, bīng quán hé, wù jiāo gǎo. Bìng fǎn zhān wàng kuáng yuè, kài chuǎn xī míng, xià shèn xuè yì, xiè bù yǐ. Tài yuān jué zhě, sǐ bù zhì. Shàng yìng yíng huò xīng.
In a year of fire in surplus, blazing summer heat spreads and moves and the metal of the lung receives evil. The people are ill with malaria, scantness of qi, coughing and panting, blood escaping upward, blood discharged downward, pouring below, dryness of the throat and deafness, heat in the centre and heat in the shoulder and back; it answers above to Mars. If it is severe there is pain in the chest, propping fullness and pain in the flanks, pain between the breast, the back and the shoulder blades, pain on the inner side of both arms, heat of the body and pain in the bones, and the soaking spread of the illness. The qi of gathering does not move and the qi of growth shines alone; rain, water, frost and cold arrive; it answers above to Mercury. If lesser yin or lesser yang presides above, fire blazes and scorches, the icy springs dry up and things are burnt and withered; the illness turns to delirious speech and raving, coughing and panting with a noisy breath, and, below, severe bleeding and unending discharge. Where Taiyuan is cut off there is death and no cure; it answers above to Mars.
「歲火太過,炎暑流行,金肺受邪」——**「暑」本篇6見:炎暑流行、炎暑流火、炎暑燔爍之復、暑雨數至、寒暑迎隨、寒暑彰其兆**;**本篇之暑或為歲氣之太過,或為復氣,或與寒對舉以狀陰陽之往復**;**「暑」讀 shǔ**
素問·金匱真言論 Suwen 4 · 金匱真言論 Read in context →
夫精者,身之本也。故藏於精者,春不病温。夏暑汗不出者,秋成風瘧,此平人脉法也。 夫精者,身之本也。故藏于精者,春不病温。夏暑汗不出者,秋成风疟,此平人脉法也。
fú jīng zhě, shēn zhī běn yě. gù cáng yú jīng zhě, chūn bù bìng wēn. xià shǔ hàn bù chū zhě, qiū chéng fēng nüè, cǐ píng rén mài fǎ yě.
Now essence is the root of the body. Hence one who stores essence does not fall ill of warm disease in spring. One who in the summer heat does not sweat forms wind malaria by autumn. This is the pulse method of the healthy person.
「夏暑汗不出者」——暑讀 shǔ;夏暑當汗,汗不出則暑邪內伏,至秋而成風瘧;**「暑」本篇1見**
素問·生氣通天論 Suwen 3 · 生氣通天論 Read in context →
因於寒,欲如運樞,起居如驚,神氣乃浮。因於暑,汗煩則喘喝,靜則多言。體若燔炭,汗出而散。 因于寒,欲如运枢,起居如惊,神气乃浮。因于暑,汗烦则喘喝,静则多言。体若燔炭,汗出而散。
Yīn yú hán, yù rú yùn shū, qǐ jū rú jīng, shén qì nǎi fú. yīn yú shǔ, hàn fán zé chuǎn hè, jìng zé duō yán. tǐ ruò fán tàn, hàn chū ér sàn.
In response to cold, the yang qi is checked as though it turned on a hinge; if rising and resting are hurried, the shen qi floats outward. In response to summer heat there is sweating and fretting with panting, and once quiet, much talking; the body is like a burning coal, and it disperses when the sweating comes.
「因於暑,汗煩則喘喝」——暑讀 shǔ;暑邪在表,汗出煩躁則喘喝,靜則多言;下文「夏傷於暑,秋爲痎瘧」;**「暑」本篇2見**
素問·脉要精微論 Suwen 17 · 脉要精微論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:請言其與天運轉大也。萬物之外,六合之内,天地之變,陰陽之應,彼春之暖,爲夏之暑;彼秋之忿,爲冬之怒,四變之動,脉與之上下,以春應中規,夏應中矩,秋應中衡,冬應中權。 岐伯曰:请言其与天运转大也。万物之外,六合之内,天地之变,阴阳之应,彼春之暖,为夏之暑;彼秋之忿,为冬之怒,四变之动,脉与之上下,以春应中规,夏应中矩,秋应中衡,冬应中权。
qí bó yuē: qǐng yán qí yǔ tiān yùn zhuǎn dà yě. wàn wù zhī wài, liù hé zhī nèi, tiān dì zhī biàn, yīn yáng zhī yìng, bǐ chūn zhī nuǎn, wéi xià zhī shǔ; bǐ qiū zhī fèn, wéi dōng zhī nù, sì biàn zhī dòng, mài yǔ zhī shàng xià, yǐ chūn yìng zhòng guī, xià yìng zhòng jǔ, qiū yìng zhòng héng, dōng yìng zhòng quán.
Qibo says: Let me speak of how it corresponds to the great turning of heaven. Outside the myriad things, within the six directions, in the changes of heaven and earth and the answering of yin and yang — the warmth of that spring becomes the heat of summer; the resentment of that autumn becomes the anger of winter. As these four changes move, the pulse rises and falls with them: in spring it answers to the compasses, in summer to the square, in autumn to the balance beam, in winter to the weight.
「爲夏之暑」,春之暖為夏之暑、秋之忿為冬之怒,四變之動而脉與之上下。暑兼季候與病邪二義,本目並收。
Suwen 70 Suwen 70 · 五常政大論 Read in context →
升明之紀,正陽而治,德施周普,五化均衡,其氣高,其性速,其用燔灼,其化蕃茂,其類火,其政明曜,其候炎暑,其令熱,其藏心,心其畏寒,其主舌,其榖麥,其果杏,其實絡,其應夏,其蟲羽,其畜馬,其色赤,其養血,其病瞤瘛,其味苦,其音徵,其物脉,其數七。 升明之纪,正阳而治,德施周普,五化均衡,其气高,其性速,其用燔灼,其化蕃茂,其类火,其政明曜,其候炎暑,其令热,其藏心,心其畏寒,其主舌,其谷麦,其果杏,其实络,其应夏,其虫羽,其畜马,其色赤,其养血,其病瞤瘛,其味苦,其音徵,其物脉,其数七。
Shēng míng zhī jì, zhèng yáng ér zhì, dé shī zhōu pǔ, wǔ huà jūn héng, qí qì gāo, qí xìng sù, qí yòng fán zhuó, qí huà fán mào, qí lèi huǒ, qí zhèng míng yào, qí hòu yán shǔ, qí lìng rè, qí zàng xīn, xīn qí wèi hán, qí zhǔ shé, qí gǔ mài, qí guǒ xìng, qí shí luò, qí yìng xià, qí chóng yǔ, qí chù mǎ, qí sè chì, qí yǎng xuè, qí bìng shùn chì, qí wèi kǔ, qí yīn zhǐ, qí wù mài, qí shù qī.
In the era of Rising Brightness the upright yang governs; its virtue is bestowed all round and the five transformations are evenly balanced. Its qi high, its nature quick, its use burning and scorching, its transformation luxuriant growth, its class fire, its governance bright shining, its climate blazing heat, its command heat, its viscus the heart; the heart fears cold; it governs the tongue; its grain wheat, its fruit the apricot, its kernel the network, its answering summer, its creature the feathered, its domestic animal the horse, its colour red, its nourishment the blood, its illness twitching of the flesh and cramping of the vessels, its flavour bitter, its note zhi, its thing the vessels, its number seven.
**「暑」本篇7見**;**此段「其候炎暑」為升明之紀之候**;**「大暑以行」在少陽司天,「大暑流行」在少陰司天**

Compounds built on this term

暑
shǔ
summerheat
本篇二見
病暑
bìng shǔ
summerheat disease
本篇一見
病温
bìng wēn
warm disease
本篇一見,與病暑對舉;本站別有「溫病」(id 227)
夏至
xià zhì
summer solstice
本篇二見,温與暑之分界

How it has been translated

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

Wiseman & FengsummerheatThey write it as one word so that it is recognisably a disease name and not a description of the weather, which is how 暑 functions in this line.
Unschuldsummer heatUnschuld writes it as two words, following his practice of staying close to the components; the cost is that the term can be read as the season.
This sitesummerheatWe keep it as one word. Chapter 31 is naming a disease here, and the fact that the name is also the season is precisely what makes the solstice rule work.

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2026-09

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