Classica Sinica Medica

客主

kè zhǔ

Guest and host · ke zhu

Also rendered: Guest and host (this site; 客 is what comes, 主 what is already in place, and the contest is between a visitor and an owner) · Host and guest (the same pair, and the chapter's own order is 客主, which puts the coming qi first)

Cosmology

Reviewed · 2026-10-14

At a glance

Pinyin
kè zhǔ
Simplified
客主
Literal
客 kè — a guest, one who comes and goes (《說文》: 客，寄也); 主 zhǔ — a host, the one who is there already. In the 運氣 method the 客氣 is the qi of the year that comes in from outside, the 主氣 the qi that belongs to the place and expects it.
Shuowen
**《說文》：客，寄也；主，鐙中火主也**，引申為主掌之義。**「客主」本篇2見，皆在本段之内**；**另有「主勝」12見、「客勝」11見，是主客相勝之目**；**「勝復」本篇8見**；**主客之勝無復，與「有勝之氣，其必來復也」之勝復異，故本篇别而論之**

In brief

The guest qi and the host qi, and the one contest in the chapter that admits no revenge: 帝曰：客主之勝復柰何？歧伯曰：客主之氣，勝而無復也. Everywhere else in the discourse a victory invites a return — 有勝之氣，其必來復也 — and the whole earlier passage on 勝復之動 turns on that. The guest and the host are the exception, because the year’s qi and the place’s qi meet only once and part: what wins, wins. The chapter then draws the rule of conduct from it — 帝曰：其逆從何如？歧伯曰：主勝逆，客勝從，天之道也 — the host’s victory runs against the order and the guest’s runs with it, which is why the passage on treatment that follows says 必安其主客.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The two 客、主
客者外來之氣，主者本方之氣
客主之勝復柰何 — Suwen 74
2
The rule 勝而無復
主客一遇而分，故無往復
客主之氣，勝而無復也 — Suwen 74
3
Why it differs 勝復
餘氣之勝必來復
有勝之氣，其必來復也 — Suwen 74
4
Its conduct 主勝逆，客勝從
主不當勝，客勝為順
主勝逆，客勝從，天之道也 — Suwen 74
5
In treatment 必安其主客
治者安二者而不使相爭
必安其主客 — Suwen 74
6
Before it 微者隨之，甚者制之
論氣之勝復之常法
皆隨勝氣，安其屈伏 — Suwen 74

Occurrences in the classics

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

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1 passages
Suwen 74 Suwen 74 · 至真要大論 Read in context →
歧伯曰：夫氣之勝也，微者隨之，甚者制之。氣之復也，和者平之，暴者奪之。皆隨勝氣，安其屈伏，無問其數，以平爲期。此其道也。帝曰：善。客主之勝復柰何？歧伯曰：客主之氣，勝而無復也。帝曰：其逆從何如？歧伯曰：主勝逆，客勝從，天之道也。帝曰：其生病何如？ 歧伯曰：夫气之胜也，微者随之，甚者制之。气之复也，和者平之，暴者夺之。皆随胜气，安其屈伏，无问其数，以平为期。此其道也。帝曰：善。客主之胜复奈何？歧伯曰：客主之气，胜而无复也。帝曰：其逆从何如？歧伯曰：主胜逆，客胜从，天之道也。帝曰：其生病何如？
Qí bó yuē: fú qì zhī shèng yě, wēi zhě suí zhī, shèn zhě zhì zhī. Qì zhī fù yě, hé zhě píng zhī, bào zhě duó zhī. Jiē suí shèng qì, ān qí qū fú, wú wèn qí shù, yǐ píng wéi qī. Cǐ qí dào yě. Dì yuē: shàn. Kè zhǔ zhī shèng fù nài hé? Qí bó yuē: kè zhǔ zhī qì, shèng ér wú fù yě. Dì yuē: qí nì cóng hé rú? Qí bó yuē: zhǔ shèng nì, kè shèng cóng, tiān zhī dào yě. Dì yuē: qí shēng bìng hé rú?
Qi Bo said: in the prevalence of qi, what is slight is followed and what is severe is checked; in the revenge of qi, what is harmonious is levelled and what is violent is taken away. All follow the prevailing qi and settle what is bowed down; the number is not asked, and the aim is levelness. This is the way of it. Huang Di said: good. What of the prevalence and revenge of guest and host? Qi Bo said: the qi of guest and host prevails but does not take revenge. Huang Di said: what of their contrary and following? Qi Bo said: the host prevailing is contrary, the guest prevailing is following — the way of heaven. Huang Di said: what of the illness they produce?
**「客主」本篇2見，皆在此段之内**；**「客主之氣，勝而無復也」為全篇勝復之論中之例外，故下文别言逆從**；**「主勝逆，客勝從」六字，即下文「必安其主客」之所本**；**此段之上為論勝復之常法，其言「微者隨之，甚者制之」與此對照**

Compounds built on this term

勝復
shèng fù
prevalence and revenge
本篇8見；主客之勝獨無復
主勝
zhǔ shèng
the host prevails
本篇12見；主勝為逆
客勝
kè shèng
the guest prevails
本篇11見；客勝為從
以平爲期
yǐ píng wéi qī
taking evenness as the goal
本篇二見；勝復之主客皆以此為斷

How it has been translated

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

This siteguest and hostthe qi of the year against the qi of the place, in the one contest that is never avenged
Literalthe guest qi and the host qiexact, and long
Descriptivethe qi that comes against the qi that belongsclear, and it loses the pair the chapter names five times

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2026-10-14

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