Classica Sinica Medica

經氣 简体 经气

jīng qì

Channel qi · jing qi

Also rendered: channel qi (Keeps qi untranslated and the warp metaphor implicit) · the qi of the conduit ('Conduit' is the acupuncture convention; heavier)

Vessels

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
jīng qì
Simplified
经气
Literal
經 is the warp of a loom before it is a channel — 說文 glosses it as 織, the weaving, and the longitudinal threads that stay put while the weft crosses them are what the medical usage takes over. 氣 is qi. So channel qi is not the channel itself but what runs along the warp, the thing whose arrival the physician is told to wait for. Chapter 25 uses it once and uses it decisively: once the channel qi has arrived, guard it and do not lose it. Everything the chapter says about the moment — there is not the space of a blink — is about this arrival.
Shuowen
《說文解字》：經，織也。从糸巠聲；氣，饋客芻米也。从米气聲（說見本站「氣」條，id 147）。經之為織之縱絲，引申為常道、為經脈。本篇之目：經氣已至，慎守勿失。

In brief

The qi that travels the channels, and specifically its arrival — the event chapter 25 builds its whole technique around. The chapter’s sequence is precise: wait for the empty to fill and the full to empty, then when the channel qi has arrived hold on to it and do not let it go. Depth and shallowness lie in the will, far and near are as one, and the hand is like gripping a tiger. The term is the hinge between the chapter’s theory and its practice: everything before it is preparation, everything after it is what you do in the instant you have.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
What runs along the warp 經氣
經為織之縱絲，氣行其中
經氣已至 — Suwen 25
2
Its arrival is the event 已至
「至」為其候，故下文言「間不容𪱄」
經氣已至 — Suwen 25
3
Held, once it comes 慎守勿失
既至則守之，不可失
慎守勿失 — Suwen 25
4
Waited for, before it comes 須其實、須其虚
「須」讀 xū，待也
剌虚者須其實，剌實者須其虚 — Suwen 25
5
Its comings and goings 可玩往來
往來即經氣之往來
可玩往來，乃施於人 — Suwen 25
6
Seen but not identified 不知其誰
氣之去來倏忽，故不知其誰
從見其飛，不知其誰 — Suwen 25

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
7 passages
素問·寶命全形論 Suwen 25 · 寶命全形論 Read in context →
歧伯曰：剌虚者須其實，剌實者須其虚。經氣已至，慎守勿失。 歧伯曰：刺虚者须其实，刺实者须其虚。经气已至，慎守勿失。
Qí bó yuē: cì xū zhě xū qí shí, cì shí zhě xū qí xū. Jīng qì yǐ zhì, shèn shǒu wù shī.
Qibo says: To puncture emptiness, wait for its repletion; to puncture repletion, wait for its emptiness. Once the channel qi has arrived, guard it carefully and do not lose it.
「剌虚者須其實，剌實者須其虚。經氣已至，慎守勿失。」「須」讀 xū，**等待之義，非「必須」之須**——待虛者之自實、實者之自虛而後刺，是候氣之法，不是補瀉之法。「剌」讀 cì，本篇四見皆然，說見本站「灸刺」條。「經氣」二字，本篇之候氣說所本：上文言「可玩往來」「至其當發，間不容𪱄」，下文言「深淺在志，遠近若一」，皆以經氣之至為樞紐。「慎」讀 shèn；「守」讀 shǒu。本站「氣」條（id 147）、「真氣」條（id 153）可與此相參，而此為行於經中者，與彼之通論、與真氣之稟受者各有其義。
素問·離合真邪論 Suwen 27 · 離合真邪論 Read in context →
真氣者，經氣也。 真气者，经气也。
Zhēn qì zhě, jīng qì yě.
True qi is channel qi.
「真氣者，經氣也」五字，是《內經》中釋真氣最直接的一句，故本站此條於此掛引文：真氣之名雖異，其實即經脉所行之氣。「者」讀 zhě，「也」讀 yě，判斷句之常式。**「氣」讀 qì，本篇二十四見**，為本篇出現最多之實字，與「邪」（十八見）相配，正合篇名真邪二字。
素問·通評虚實論 Suwen 28 · 通評虚實論 Read in context →
帝曰：絡氣不足，經氣有餘，何如？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。 帝曰：络气不足，经气有余，何如？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。
Dì yuē: luò qì bù zú, jīng qì yǒu yú, hé rú?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.
The Emperor says: what of network-vessel qi insufficient and channel qi in excess? 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.
「絡氣不足，經氣有餘」一節，是本篇言經氣最明之處：經氣與絡氣對舉，而診之之法在脉口與尺——脉口熱而尺寒，即絡不足而經有餘之象。**「氣」讀 qì，本篇十五見**；「有」讀 yǒu；「餘」讀 yú，本篇三見，底本皆作餘，不作「余」。本篇「經氣」二見（此節「經氣有餘」、下文「經虚絡滿」之對文），皆以經絡之氣相較而言，與第二十七篇「真氣者，經氣也」之界說相足：彼釋真氣之實，此辨經氣之虛實。
素問·大奇論 Suwen 48 · 大奇論 Read in context →
脉至浮合，浮合如數，一息十至以上，是經氣予不足也，微見，九十日死。 脉至浮合，浮合如数，一息十至以上，是经气予不足也，微见，九十日死。
Mài zhì fú hé, fú hé rú shuò, yī xī shí zhì yǐ shàng, shì jīng qì yǔ bù zú yě, wēi xiàn, jiǔ shí rì sǐ.
A pulse arriving floating and merging, and in that merging as if rapid, more than ten beats to one breath, means the conduit qi is spent. Seen but slightly, death comes in ninety days.
「是「經」讀 jīng氣予不足也」——**本篇「經氣」1見**；「息」讀 xī、**本篇惟此一見，一息者一呼一吸**；**「一息十至以上」謂一呼吸間脉動十次以上，本篇諸死脉中惟此以數定期（九十日死）**。
素問·鍼解 Suwen 54 · 鍼解 Read in context →
經氣已至，慎守勿失者，勿變更也。 经气已至，慎守勿失者，勿变更也。
Jīng qì yǐ zhì, shèn shǒu wù shī zhě, wù biàn gēng yě.
「The channel qi has arrived; guard it well, do not lose it」 — change nothing further.
「「經」讀 jīng「氣」讀 qì已至，慎守勿失者，勿變更也」——**本篇「經氣」1見，讀 jīng qì**；**本目為第二十五篇「經氣乃至」所立，彼章正有「如臨深淵，手如握虎，神無營於衆物」之文，與本篇第二十一至二十三節字字相同**——**是本篇此節與第二十五篇同源，故為正挂**；「慎」讀 shèn、**「慎守」之慎讀 shèn**；「勿」讀 wù、**本篇「勿」4見，讀 wù**
素問·四時刺逆從論 Suwen 64 · 四時刺逆從論 Read in context →
是故邪氣者，常隨四時之氣血而入客也，至其變化，不可爲度，然必從其經氣，辟除其邪。 是故邪气者，常随四时之气血而入客也，至其变化，不可为度，然必从其经气，辟除其邪。
Shì gù xié qì zhě, cháng suí sì shí zhī qì xuè ér rù kè yě, zhì qí biàn huà, bù kě wéi dù, rán bì cóng qí jīng qì, pì chú qí xié.
Thus evil qi, for its part, always enters and lodges by following the qi and blood of the four seasons. As for the changes it works, no measure can be set for them; yet one must follow the qi of the channel and clear the evil away.
「然必從其經氣，辟除其邪」——**「經氣」本篇1見**；**邪之變化不可為度，然必從其經所在之氣而治之**；**「辟」此讀 pì，《類經》本作「闢」而注「闢，音闢**」；**一說讀 bì，通「避」，屏除之義，二說並存**
素問·陰陽别論 Suwen 7 · 陰陽别論 Read in context →
淖則剛柔不和，經氣乃絶。 淖则刚柔不和，经气乃绝。
nào zé gāng róu bù hé, jīng qì nǎi jué.
If there is sodden excess, the hard and the soft are out of harmony, and the qi of the channels is cut off.
「經氣乃絶」——剛柔不和則經氣斷絶；**「經氣」本篇1見**

Compounds built on this term

經氣
jīng qì
channel qi
經脈中之氣，本篇言其「至」
氣至
qì zhì
the arrival of qi
針家之候，本篇所本
經脈
jīng mài
the channels
本站第二十一篇「經脉别論」可參
慎守勿失
shèn shǒu wù shī
guard it and do not lose it
經氣既至之法

How it has been translated

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

Wiseman & Fengchannel qiThey use 'channel' for 經 and leave qi untranslated throughout, which is the practice this site also follows.
Unschuldthe conduit qiHe prefers 'conduit', which is accurate to the acupuncture tradition but imports a later technical vocabulary.
This sitechannel qiWe keep qi untranslated and lower case, as everywhere on this site, and use 'channel' rather than 'conduit' for the same reason we keep 經 as the warp of a loom in the entry: it is the older picture and it is the one the text is written in.

Entry status

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2026-09

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