候

hòu

Hou · the period of five days

Also rendered: pentad (The Greek for a group of five) · five-day period (Explicit) · hou (Pinyin)

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
hòu
Simplified
候
Literal
候 to wait upon, to watch for; also the stretch one waits through. Five days make one 候.
Shuowen
《說文解字》:候,伺望也。

In brief

The smallest unit in the chapter’s calendar, and the one that shows why the calendar is medical at all. Five days make a 候, three 候 make a 氣, six 氣 make a season, four seasons make a year — and the clause that matters is the last: 而各從其主治焉, each period has a qi that governs it. The same word is then used for the physician’s watching: 謹候其時, watch carefully for its season.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The five-day period 五日謂之候
The base unit; three make a qi, eighteen make a season
五日謂之候,三候謂之氣 — Suwen 9
2
To watch for 謹候其時
The same word as the physician's act: to wait upon the season and read it
謹候其時,氣可與期 — Suwen 9

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·六節藏象論 Suwen 9 · 六節藏象論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:五日謂之候,三候謂之氣,六氣謂之時,四時謂之歲,而各從其主治焉。 歧伯曰:五日谓之候,三候谓之气,六气谓之时,四时谓之岁,而各从其主治焉。
qí bó yuē: wǔ rì wèi zhī hòu, sān hòu wèi zhī qì, liù qì wèi zhī shí, sì shí wèi zhī suì, ér gè cóng qí zhǔ zhì yān.
Qibo says: Five days are called a period; three periods make a qi; six qi make a season; four seasons make a year — and each follows the qi that governs it.
本篇定氣候之數:五日一候、三候一氣(十五日)、六氣一時(一季九十日)、四時一歲。末句「各從其主治焉」最要——每一時段皆有當令之氣主之,故下文曰「失時反候……工不能禁」。
素問·脉要精微論 Suwen 17 · 脉要精微論 Read in context →
尺内兩傍,則季脅也,尺外以候腎,尺裏以候腹。中附上左外以候肝,内以候鬲;右外以候胃,内以候脾。 尺内两旁,则季胁也,尺外以候肾,尺里以候腹。中附上左外以候肝,内以候鬲;右外以候胃,内以候脾。
chǐ nèi liǎng bàng, zé jì xié yě, chǐ wài yǐ hòu shèn, chǐ lǐ yǐ hòu fù. zhōng fù shàng zuǒ wài yǐ hòu gān, nèi yǐ hòu gé; yòu wài yǐ hòu wèi, nèi yǐ hòu pí.
The two sides of the inner forearm correspond to the lower ribs. The outer part of the cubit assesses the kidney, the inner part the abdomen. At the middle attachment above, the left outer side assesses the liver and the inner side the diaphragm; the right outer side assesses the stomach and the inner side the spleen.
「尺内兩傍,則季脅也,尺外以候腎,尺裏以候腹」:候,謂診候、候驗。與第九篇「候」同條而義別:第九篇以候為五日之一候、為氣之節序,本篇則以候為診候之義——以尺之部位候臟腑之病,凡言「以候」者十二見。「候」由時令之節轉為診察之用,其義相因:候其時者候其氣,候其部者候其病。
素問·三部九候論 Suwen 20 · 三部九候論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:有下部,有中部,有上部,部各有三候,三候者,有天、有地、有人也,必指而導之,乃以爲真。 歧伯曰:有下部,有中部,有上部,部各有三候,三候者,有天、有地、有人也,必指而导之,乃以为真。
Qí bó yuē: yǒu xià bù, yǒu zhōng bù, yǒu shàng bù, bù gè yǒu sān hòu, sān hòu zhě, yǒu tiān, yǒu dì, yǒu rén yě, bì zhǐ ér dǎo zhī, nǎi yǐ wéi zhēn.
Qibo says: there is a lower sector, a middle sector and an upper sector; each sector has three probes, and the three probes are heaven, earth and the human. One must be shown them by pointing and guiding; only then is it taken as true.
「有下部,有中部,有上部,部各有三候,三候者,有天、有地、有人也,必指而導之,乃以爲真」:本篇之候,非第九篇「五日謂之候」之義,乃診脈之部位——三部各三候,合為九候。與第九篇「候」(五日為一候,三候為一氣)同名而義別:第九篇以候為氣數之單位(五日一候,六氣一時,四時一歲),本篇則以候為可以按指之處——上部兩額、兩頰、耳前之動脈,中部手三經,下部足三經。二字同源,皆從「伺望」之義出:第九篇候氣之至,本篇候脈之動;下文「必指而導之,乃以爲真」,言非指授不可得也。
素問·八正神明論 Suwen 26 · 八正神明論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:凡剌之法,必𠉀日月星辰四時八正之氣,氣定乃剌之。 歧伯曰:凡刺之法,必候日月星辰四时八正之气,气定乃刺之。
Qí bó yuē: fán cì zhī fǎ, bì hòu rì yuè xīng chén sì shí bā zhèng zhī qì, qì dìng nǎi cì zhī.
Qibo says: In every method of needling, one must watch for the qi of sun and moon, of stars and constellations, of the four seasons and the eight standards; only when that qi has settled does one needle.
本篇「𠉀」十一見,皆「候」之異體,底本通篇作此形,不作候。其用法有三:候日月星辰四時八正之氣(此句)、候八風之虚邪、候氣之浮沈——三處之「候」皆是觀測以待之義,與本條「五日謂之候」之為時間單位者同名而實別,讀者不可混。本篇又言「工𠉀救之」「移光定位,正立而待之」,其「待」字正見候之為事:觀測而待其時至。
素問·離合真邪論 Suwen 27 · 離合真邪論 Read in context →
帝曰:𠉀氣奈何? 帝曰:候气奈何?
Dì yuē: hòu qì nài hé?
The Emperor says: How does one watch for the qi?
「𠉀氣奈何」——本篇候字十二見,**底本通篇作「𠉀」,無一處作「候」**,與第二十二至二十五篇之作候者異,與第二十六篇之作𠉀者同。本站此條以五日為一候立目,本篇之𠉀則是動詞:候氣、𠉀邪、𠉀呼引鍼、𠉀吸引鍼,皆候察之義,與作為時間單位之候,其間引申之迹尚可按。
素問·瘧論 Suwen 35 · 瘧論 Read in context →
審候見之,在孫絡盛堅而血者,皆取之,此真往而未得并者也。 审候见之,在孙络盛坚而血者,皆取之,此真往而未得并者也。
Shěn hòu jiàn zhī, zài sūn luò shèng jiān ér xuè zhě, jiē qǔ zhī, cǐ zhēn wǎng ér wèi dé bìng zhě yě.
Examine and watch for it: wherever the grandchild networks are full, hard and blooded, take them all. This is the true qi having gone forth and not yet merged.
「候」之目於本站已立(id 374),所收五條,本站之釋為「五日為一候」——五日為候、三候為氣、六氣為時、四時為歲,**而本站亦已指出「候」字兼「謹候其時」之診察義**(第九篇)。**本篇「候」字惟此一見,正作診察解:「審候見之」**——「審」讀 shěn,本篇惟此一見,不作「审」(「审」);「候」讀 hòu,本篇惟此一見;「見」讀 jiàn,本篇惟此一見,不作「见」(「见」);「之」讀 zhī;「在」讀 zài,本篇 7 見;「孫」讀 sūn,本篇惟此一見,不作「孙」(「孙」);「絡」讀 luò,本篇 2 見,不作「络」(「络」);「盛」讀 shèng;「堅」讀 jiān,本篇 2 見,不作「坚」(「坚」);「而」讀 ér;「血」讀 xuè,本篇惟此一見;「者」讀 zhě;「皆」讀 jiē;「取」讀 qǔ,本篇惟此一見;「此」讀 cǐ;「真」讀 zhēn;「往」讀 wǎng,本篇惟此一見;「未」讀 wèi;「得」讀 dé;「并」讀 bìng。**「審候」二字連文,候即審也,審即候也**——**是「候」字本義(伺望、診察)之確證**,**與本站「候」條所收第九篇「五日謂之候」之引申義為一本一支**。**「審候見之,在孫絡盛堅而血者,皆取之」十六字,是本篇所載刺絡之法**:於瘧將發而未并之時,視孫絡之盛堅充血者而取之,**與上文「無剌」三禁為一禁一行**——**已發則不可剌,未發則可取**。
素問·鍼解 Suwen 54 · 鍼解 Read in context →
近遠如一者,深淺其候等也。 近远如一者,深浅其候等也。
Jìn yuǎn rú yī zhě, shēn qiǎn qí hòu děng yě.
「Near and far as one」 — the waiting upon qi is the same whether the needle is deep or shallow.
「近遠如一者,深淺其「候」讀 hòu等也」——**本篇「候」9見,讀 hòu**;**本目二義:一為五日之候,一為候察之候;本篇九見皆屬後者**——**「以候五色」「以候髮毋澤」「以候閉節」「以候緩急」「以候相反」「人候齒」皆候察之義,「深淺其候等也」則其名詞**;**本篇為本站「候」作候察義之最密者**
素問·氣交變大論 Suwen 69 · 氣交變大論 Read in context →
帝曰:夫子之言,歲候不及其太過而上應五星。今夫德化政令,災眚變易,非常而有也。卒然而動,其亦爲之變乎? 帝曰:夫子之言,岁候不及其太过而上应五星。今夫德化政令,灾眚变易,非常而有也。卒然而动,其亦为之变乎?
Dì yuē: fū zǐ zhī yán, suì hòu bù jí qí tài guò ér shàng yìng wǔ xīng. Jīn fú dé huà zhèng lìng, zāi shěng biàn yì, fēi cháng ér yǒu yě. Cù rán ér dòng, qí yì wéi zhī biàn hū?
Huang Di said: you have said, master, that when the year’s signs fall short or are in surplus they answer above to the five planets. Now virtue, transformation, governance and command, disaster, calamity, change and exchange are not constant possessions. When they stir of a sudden, do the planets also change for them?
「夫子之言,歲候不及其太過而上應五星」——**「候」本篇2見:歲候、不同其候**;**本目二義,一為五日之候,一為候察;本篇二見皆屬前者之引申,謂時候、氣候:「歲候」是一歲之候,「不同其候」謂德化政令災變各異其時**;**本篇「五星」1見,止此一見,別立專目**;**「候」讀 hòu**

Compounds built on this term

氣
qì
the qi of fifteen days
Three periods make one
時
shí
the season
Six qi make one
歲
suì
the year
Four seasons make one

How it has been translated

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

Common Englishpentad / five-day periodPentad is exact and unused outside technical writing; five-day period is plainer.
This sitethe period候 is both the unit and the watching of it — 謹候其時 uses the same word. Keeping it as period lets the reader see that the calendar and the clinician's waiting are one word in this chapter.

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2026-09

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