尺

chǐ

The cubit · chi

Also rendered: the cubit (Literal; the measure and the region) · the cubit region (Restricts it to the place on the arm) · the chi (Transliterated)

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
chǐ
Simplified
尺
Literal
尺 the foot-rule, ten inches (《說文》: 十寸也 — measured from the wrist to the elbow in early usage). In chapter 17 it is both a length of the forearm and the region of the pulse examined there.
Shuowen
《說文解字》:尺,十寸也(段注:人手卻十分動脈為寸口,十寸為尺;尺所以指尺規榘事也)。

In brief

Chapter 17 ends by mapping the forearm. The inner sides of the cubit correspond to the lower ribs; its outer side assesses the kidney and its inner side the abdomen. Above it, at the middle attachment, the left outer side assesses the liver and the inner the diaphragm, the right outer the stomach and the inner the spleen; above that, the right outer the lung and the inner the chest, the left outer the heart and the inner the chest centre. Front assesses front, back assesses back; what reaches highest concerns chest and throat, what reaches lowest concerns the lower body. This is the earliest systematic statement of the regions of the wrist pulse, and the chapter’s partner to 寸口.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The cubit as a region 尺内兩傍,則季脅也
尺之内側主季脅
尺内兩傍,則季脅也 — Suwen 17
2
Outer and inner 尺外以候腎,尺裏以候腹
外候腎、內候腹
尺外以候腎,尺裏以候腹 — Suwen 17
3
The attachments above it 中附上……上附上
由尺而上,分候肝鬲胃脾心肺
中附上左外以候肝,内以候鬲;右外以候胃,内以候脾 — Suwen 17
4
The rule of the mapping 上竟上者,胸喉中事也。下竟下者,少腹腰股膝脛足中事也
上以候上、下以候下
上竟上者,胸喉中事也 — Suwen 17

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
5 passages
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。上附上,右外以候肺,内以候胸中;左外以候心,内以候膻中。前以候前,後以候後。上竟上者,胸喉中事也。下竟下者,少腹腰股膝脛足中事也。 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。上附上,右外以候肺,内以候胸中;左外以候心,内以候膻中。前以候前,后以候后。上竟上者,胸喉中事也。下竟下者,少腹腰股膝胫足中事也。
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. shàng fù shàng, yòu wài yǐ hòu fèi, nèi yǐ hòu xiōng zhōng; zuǒ wài yǐ hòu xīn, nèi yǐ hòu dàn zhōng. qián yǐ hòu qián, hòu yǐ hòu hòu. shàng jìng shàng zhě, xiōng hóu zhōng shì yě. xià jìng xià zhě, shào fù yāo gǔ xī jìng zú zhōng shì yě.
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. At the upper attachment above, the right outer side assesses the lung and the inner side the centre of the chest; the left outer side assesses the heart and the inner side the chest centre. The front assesses the front, the back assesses the back. What reaches highest above concerns the chest and throat; what reaches lowest below concerns the lower abdomen, loins, thighs, knees, shins and feet.
本篇末節分尺膚以候臟腑:尺内兩傍主季脅,尺外候腎、尺裏候腹;中附上左外候肝、內候鬲,右外候胃、內候脾;上附上右外候肺、內候胸中,左外候心、內候膻中。前候前、後候後,上竟上者胸喉之事,下竟下者少腹腰股膝脛足之事。此與第九篇「寸口」相為表裡。
素問·平人氣象論 Suwen 18 · 平人氣象論 Read in context →
安卧脉盛,謂之脱血。尺濇脉滑,謂之多汗。 安卧脉盛,谓之脱血。尺涩脉滑,谓之多汗。
ān wò mài shèng, wèi zhī tuō xuè. chǐ sè mài huá, wèi zhī duō hàn.
Resting quietly and yet having a full pulse indicates loss of blood. A rough cubit skin with a slippery pulse indicates much sweating.
「安卧脉盛,謂之脱血。尺濇脉滑,謂之多汗」:本篇尺之義有二,一為尺脈(尺脉緩濇),一為尺膚(尺濇、尺寒、脉尺麤常熱)。與第十七篇「尺」同條而義進:第十七篇詳列尺之部位以候臟腑(尺內兩傍則季脅、尺外以候腎、尺裏以候腹),本篇則以尺之寒熱滑濇候病——尺濇而脈滑者多汗,尺寒而脈細者後泄,尺麤常熱者熱中。
素問·通評虚實論 Suwen 28 · 通評虚實論 Read in context →
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。 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。
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.
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.
本篇「尺」字六見,皆與「脉口」(寸)對舉,是本站此條最重要之用法:尺以候下、候陰,寸以候上、候陽。「脉口熱而尺寒」與下文「尺熱滿,脉口寒濇」恰相反,而吉凶亦相反(秋冬為逆春夏為從/春夏死秋冬生),正見本篇辨析之細。**「尺」讀 chǐ,本篇六見**;「口」讀 kǒu;「寒」讀 hán,本篇九見;「熱」讀 rè。又「尺濇而不應」之尺(形盡滿節)、「尺虚者,行步恇然」之尺(重虚節),皆以尺部候下元之虛實。
素問·奇病論 Suwen 47 · 奇病論 Read in context →
帝曰:人有尺脉數甚,筋急而見,此爲何病?歧伯曰:此所謂疹筋。是人腹必急,白色黑色見則病甚。 帝曰:人有尺脉数甚,筋急而见,此为何病?歧伯曰:此所谓疹筋。是人腹必急,白色黑色见则病甚。
Dì yuē: rén yǒu chǐ mài shuò shèn, jīn jí ér xiàn, cǐ wéi hé bìng? Qí bó yuē: cǐ suǒ wèi zhěn jīn. Shì rén fù bì jí, bái sè hēi sè xiàn zé bìng shèn.
The Emperor asks: a person whose chi pulse is very rapid and whose sinews are tense and stand out — what illness is this? Qi Bo answers: this is what is called sinew enduring illness. Such a person’s abdomen is necessarily tense; if white or black colour shows, the illness is severe.
「人有「尺」讀 chǐ脉數甚,筋急而見」——**本篇「尺」1見**;**尺讀 chǐ,尺部之脉,與本站第十七篇分候藏府之尺同部位**;**「數甚」之數讀 shuò,頻數之義,本篇五見皆此讀**;「見」讀 xiàn、**見讀 xiàn,通「現」,筋急而顯露於外,下文「白色黑色見則病甚」之見同讀**。
素問·五運行大論 Suwen 67 · 五運行大論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:從其氣則和,違其氣則病。不當其位者病,迭移其位者病,失守其位者危,尺寸反者死,陰陽交者死。先立其年,以知其氣。左右應見,然後乃可以言死生之逆順。 歧伯曰:从其气则和,违其气则病。不当其位者病,迭移其位者病,失守其位者危,尺寸反者死,阴阳交者死。先立其年,以知其气。左右应见,然后乃可以言死生之逆顺。
Qí bó yuē: cóng qí qì zé hé, wéi qí qì zé bìng. Bù dāng qí wèi zhě bìng, dié yí qí wèi zhě bìng, shī shǒu qí wèi zhě wēi, chǐ cùn fǎn zhě sǐ, yīn yáng jiāo zhě sǐ. Xiān lì qí nián, yǐ zhī qí qì. Zuǒ yòu yìng jiàn, rán hòu nǎi kě yǐ yán sǐ shēng zhī nì shùn.
Qi Bo said: to follow its qi is harmony, to go against it is illness. He who is not in his proper place falls ill; he who shifts from place to place falls ill; he who loses the place he guards is in peril; when the chi and cun are reversed there is death, and when yin and yang cross there is death. First establish the year in order to know its qi; once the corresponding qi of left and right have been seen, then one may speak of what is adverse and what is favourable in life and death.
「尺寸反者死」——**「尺」本篇1見,止在此語**;**此語與「陰陽交者死」同為二死之斷,上文「不當其位者病,迭移其位者病,失守其位者危」是其序:病、病、危、死、死**;**「寸」讀 cùn,本篇1見,止在此語**;**本篇「尺寸」另立新目,見「尺寸」條**

Compounds built on this term

尺
chǐ
the cubit, ten inches
說文:十寸也
寸口
cùn kǒu
the wrist pulse
第九篇已立目
季脅
jì xié
the lower ribs
本篇尺内兩傍所主
膻中
dàn zhōng
the chest centre
第八篇已立目;本篇左內所候
竟
jìng
to reach the end of
本篇「上竟上」「下竟下」

How it has been translated

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

Common Englishthe cubit, or the chi regionTranslations of the pulse sections usually keep cubit, since 寸口 is already rendered as the inch opening or the wrist pulse.
This sitethe cubit尺 is a unit of length before it is a place, and the chapter needs both: the region is called after the distance, and the mapping works by distance (上竟上、下竟下). Region would lose that. The capital is not given to it, because in these passages it is a part of the arm being pressed, not a technical term being named.

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09

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Reading path

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