Classica Sinica Medica

欲解時 简体 欲解时

yù jiě shí

The hour of resolution · yu jie shi

Also rendered: The hour of resolution (This site) · Time of about-to-loosen (Literal) · Period of spontaneous recovery (Clinical)

Pathology

Reviewed · 2026-10-31

At a glance

Pinyin
yù jiě shí
Simplified
欲解时
Literal
欲 yù is about to, on the point of; 解 jiě is to untie, to loosen, and so to resolve; 時 shí is the hour. The phrase names the stretch of the day at which a given channel's disease is most likely to loosen of itself — not when it must be treated, but when the body's own qi, meeting its season, has the advantage.
Shuowen
**《說文》：「欲，貪欲也。」** 引申爲將然；「解，判也」，判則散，故爲解；「時，四時也。」**六至十篇三見**：第八篇行490（陽明，從申至戌上）、第九篇行648（少陽，從寅至辰上）、第十篇行653（太陰，從亥至丑上）。**三陽三陰各有其時**，太陽從巳至未上、少陰從子至寅上、厥陰從丑至卯上，見於本書他篇。**此非治法**：欲解之時，正氣得時令之助而邪易散，故可待；若證具而脉逆，則不當坐待。

In brief

The hours in which a channel’s disease tends to resolve. Each of the six channels has its own: taiyang from the snake to the goat, yang brightness from the monkey to the dog, shaoyang from the tiger to the dragon, taiyin from the pig to the ox, shaoyin from the rat to the tiger, jueyin from the ox to the hare. The idea is that the qi of the channel is at its strongest in its own season of the day, and the pathogen, meeting that strength, loosens. The phrase is therefore a statement about timing, not a prescription: it tells the physician when to wait and when not to, and it belongs with the chapter’s other uses of time — the tide-like fever at late afternoon, the raving at dusk. Where the signs are full and the pulse against them, no hour will help.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
陽明欲解時 陽明病，欲解時，從申至戌上
陽明屬燥金，申酉戌爲金旺之時，故其病欲解在此；申至戌，約今十五至二十一時
Yang brightness belongs to the dry metal, and the hours of monkey, rooster and dog are when metal is strong; there its disease tends to loosen, roughly from three in the afternoon to nine at night.
陽明病，欲解時，從申至戌上。 — 辨陽明病脉證并治第八
2
少陽欲解時 少陽病，欲解時，從寅至辰上
少陽屬木，寅卯辰爲木旺之時，故少陽病欲解在此；寅至辰，約今三至九時
Shaoyang belongs to wood, and the hours of tiger, hare and dragon are when wood is strong; there shaoyang disease tends to loosen, roughly from three to nine in the morning.
少陽病，欲解時，從寅至辰上。 — 辨少陽病脉證并治第九
3
太陰欲解時 太陰病欲解時，從亥至丑上
太陰屬土，亥子丑爲水旺而土氣內守之時，故太陰病欲解在此；亥至丑，約今二十一至三時
Taiyin belongs to earth; in the hours of pig, rat and ox water is strong and earth keeps within, and there taiyin disease tends to loosen — roughly from nine at night to three in the morning.
太陰病欲解時，從亥至丑上。 — 辨太陰病脉證并治第十

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
3 passages
辨陽明病脉證并治第八·辨陽明病脉證并治第八 Read in context →
陽明病，欲解時，從申至戌上。 阳明病，欲解时，从申至戌上。
yáng míng bìng yù jiě shí cóng shēn zhì xū shàng
The hour when yangming disease tends to resolve is from the hour of shen to the hour of xu.
申至戌爲金旺，陽明燥金得時，故欲解；此是時令之助，非藥力。
辨少陽病脉證并治第九·辨少陽病脉證并治第九 Read in context →
少陽病，欲解時，從寅至辰上。 少阳病，欲解时，从寅至辰上。
shào yáng bìng yù jiě shí cóng yín zhì chén shàng
The hour when shaoyang disease tends to resolve is from the hour of yin to the hour of chen.
寅至辰木旺，少陽得之而解；與少陽主證合看，可見其屬木。
辨太陰病脉證并治第十·辨太陰病脉證并治第十 Read in context →
太陰病欲解時，從亥至丑上。 太阴病欲解时，从亥至丑上。
tài yīn bìng yù jiě shí cóng hài zhì chǒu shàng
The hour when taiyin disease tends to resolve is from the hour of hai to the hour of chou.
亥至丑土守，太陰解時在夜半前後，三陰之解皆在陰分之時。

Compounds built on this term

欲解時
yù jiě shí
the hour of resolution
辨陽明病脉證并治第八
從申至戌上
cóng shēn zhì xū shàng
from the monkey to the dog
辨陽明病脉證并治第八
六經
liù jīng
the six channels
辨少陽病脉證并治第九
時令
shí lìng
the season of the day
辨太陰病脉證并治第十

How it has been translated

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

This sitethe hour of resolutionkeeps 欲 as about-to, not certain
Literaltime of about to untieexact, and awkward
Clinicalperiod of spontaneous recoveryclear, but suggests a guarantee

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-10-31

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