微

wēi

The faint quality · wei

Also rendered: The minute pulse (Literal) · The weak pulse (Clinical)

Reviewed · 2026-10-28

At a glance

Pinyin
wēi
Simplified
微
Literal
微 wēi — minute, hidden, barely there. As a pulse it is felt only faintly, threadlike and without strength.
Shuowen
**《說文》:微,隱行也**,从彳,取隱微之行。**「微」五篇共66見**(經文),為諸脉名中出現最多者之一,然多有「微熱」「微煩」「微汗」之文,其為脉名者須以「脉微」「微者」别之。

In brief

The faint quality: the pulse at the edge of touch, felt but scarcely. It closes the yin family in the opening sentence and is the commonest single quality in these chapters, which makes it the easiest to over-read: 微熱 and 微煩 are adverbs, not pulses. As a pulse it says decline — of yang at the inch, of nutritive qi when it pairs with astringency, of the whole movement when it is like a spider’s thread. With relaxation it can also mean recovery is at hand (脉微緩者,爲欲愈也), so faintness is read by company, not alone.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
Last of the yin family 沉、濇、弱、弦、微
微為六陰脉之末
Deep, astringent, weak, string-like and faint are called the yin pulse.
脉沉、濇、弱、弦、微,此名陰也 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一
2
Faint at the inch 假令寸口脉微
寸口脉微,名曰陽不足
If the inch pulse is faint, it is called yang insufficiency: yin qi rises into the yang and the patient shivers.
假令寸口脉微,名曰陽不足 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一
3
Faint and astringent 脉微而濇
微濇並見,營衛俱不足
A faint and astringent pulse is the physician's doing: he sweat and purged the patient until the blood was gone.
病人脉微而濇者,此爲醫所病也 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一
4
Faint means decline 榮氣微也
沉而微者,營氣衰
When the pulse is deep, the nutritive qi is faint.
其脉沉者,榮氣微也 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一
5
Like fat on soup 脉瞥瞥如羹上肥者
瞥瞥如羹上浮油,陽氣衰微
A pulse glancing like fat on soup: the yang qi is faint.
脉瞥瞥如羹上肥者,陽氣微也 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一
6
Faint and relaxed 脉微緩者
微緩者,為欲愈
Faint and relaxed: the illness is about to resolve.
脉微緩者,爲欲愈也 — 傷寒論·辨太陽病脉證并治上第五
7
Faint means empty 微則爲虚
微緊相搏,則為短氣
At the instep, faint and tight: tight is cold and faint is emptiness, and the two together make shortness of breath.
趺陽脉微而緊,緊爲寒,微則爲虚 — 傷寒論·平脉法第二

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
5 passages
傷寒論·辨脉法第一 Read in context →
問曰:脉有陰陽者,何謂也?答曰:凡脉大、浮、數、動、滑,此名陽也;脉沉、濇、弱、弦、微,此名陰也。凡陰病見陽脉者生,陽病見陰脉者死。 问曰:脉有阴阳者,何谓也?答曰:凡脉大、浮、数、动、滑,此名阳也;脉沉、涩、弱、弦、微,此名阴也。凡阴病见阳脉者生,阳病见阴脉者死。
wèn yuē mài yǒu yīn yáng zhě hé wèi yě dá yuē fán mài dà fú shuò dòng huá cǐ míng yáng yě mài chén sè ruò xián wēi cǐ míng yīn yě fán yīn bìng jiàn yáng mài zhě shēng yáng bìng jiàn yīn mài zhě sǐ
The Master asked: “The pulse has yin and yang — what does that mean?” The answer: “When the pulse is large, floating, rapid, moving or slippery, it is named yang; when it is deep, astringent, weak, wiry or faint, it is named yin. In yin disease, seeing a yang pulse, the patient lives; in yang disease, seeing a yin pulse, the patient dies.”
**「微」五篇共66見**(經文,不含成注),本文引第1篇第01段、第1篇第03段、第1篇第30段、第1篇第10段、第5篇第26段。
傷寒論·辨脉法第一 Read in context →
問曰:病有灑淅惡寒,而復發熱者何?答曰:陰脉不足,陽徃從之;陽脉不足,陰徃乘之。曰:何謂陽不足?答曰:假令寸口脉微,名曰陽不足,陰氣上入陽中,則灑淅惡寒也。曰:何謂陰不足?答曰:假令尺脉弱,名曰陰不足,陽氣下陷入陰中,則發熱也。 问曰:病有洒淅恶寒,而复发热者何?答曰:阴脉不足,阳往从之;阳脉不足,阴往乘之。曰:何谓阳不足?答曰:假令寸口脉微,名曰阳不足,阴气上入阳中,则洒淅恶寒也。曰:何谓阴不足?答曰:假令尺脉弱,名曰阴不足,阳气下陷入阴中,则发热也。
wèn yuē bìng yǒu sǎ xī wù hán ér fù fā rè zhě hé dá yuē yīn mài bù zú yáng wǎng cóng zhī yáng mài bù zú yīn wǎng chéng zhī yuē hé wèi yáng bù zú dá yuē jiǎ lìng cùn kǒu mài wēi míng yuē yáng bù zú yīn qì shàng rù yáng zhōng zé sǎ xī wù hán yě yuē hé wèi yīn bù zú dá yuē jiǎ lìng chǐ mài ruò míng yuē yīn bù zú yáng qì xià xiàn rù yīn zhōng zé fā rè yě
Asked: “Some patients have sprinkling shivering with aversion to cold and then fever — why?” The answer: “When the yin pulse is insufficient, the yang goes along with it; when the yang pulse is insufficient, the yin rides over it.” Asked: “What is yang insufficiency?” The answer: “If the cunkou pulse is faint, it is called yang insufficiency; yin qi rises into the yang, and there is sprinkling shivering with aversion to cold.” Asked: “What is yin insufficiency?” The answer: “If the chi pulse is weak, it is called yin insufficiency; yang qi sinks into the yin, and there is fever.”
微多與它脉並見:並濇為營衛不足,並緩為欲愈,並緊為短氣。單言微者,僅寸口、尺中兩處。
傷寒論·辨脉法第一 Read in context →
師曰:病人脉微而濇者,此爲醫所病也。大發其汗,又數大下之,其人亡血。病當惡寒,後乃發熱,無休止時。夏月盛熱,欲著複衣,冬月盛寒,欲裸其身。所以然者,陽微則惡寒,陰弱則發熱。此醫發其汗,令陽氣微,又大下之,令陰氣弱。五月之時,陽氣在表,胃中虚冷,以陽氣内微,不能勝冷,故欲著複衣。十一月之時,陽氣在裏,胃中煩熱,以陰氣内弱,不能勝熱,故欲祼其身。又陰脉遲濇,故知血亡也。 师曰:病人脉微而涩者,此为医所病也。大发其汗,又数大下之,其人亡血。病当恶寒,后乃发热,无休止时。夏月盛热,欲著复衣,冬月盛寒,欲裸其身。所以然者,阳微则恶寒,阴弱则发热。此医发其汗,令阳气微,又大下之,令阴气弱。五月之时,阳气在表,胃中虚冷,以阳气内微,不能胜冷,故欲著复衣。十一月之时,阳气在里,胃中烦热,以阴气内弱,不能胜热,故欲祼其身。又阴脉迟涩,故知血亡也。
shī yuē bìng rén mài wēi ér sè zhě cǐ wéi yī suǒ bìng yě dà fā qí hàn yòu shuò dà xià zhī qí rén wáng xuè bìng dāng wù hán hòu nǎi fā rè wú xiū zhǐ shí xià yuè shèng rè yù zhuó fù yī dōng yuè shèng hán yù luǒ qí shēn suǒ yǐ rán zhě yáng wēi zé wù hán yīn ruò zé fā rè cǐ yī fā qí hàn lìng yáng qì wēi yòu dà xià zhī lìng yīn qì ruò wǔ yuè zhī shí yáng qì zài biǎo wèi zhōng xū lěng yǐ yáng qì nèi wēi bù néng shèng lěng gù yù zhuó fù yī shí yī yuè zhī shí yáng qì zài lǐ wèi zhōng fán rè yǐ yīn qì nèi ruò bù néng shèng rè gù yù luǒ qí shēn yòu yīn mài chí sè gù zhī xuè wáng yě
The master said: “When a patient’s pulse is faint and astringent, he has been harmed by the physician. Sweating him greatly and purging him repeatedly, the man loses blood. The illness should bring aversion to cold and afterwards fever, without cease.” In summer’s great heat he wants thick garments; in winter’s great cold he wants to go bare. The reason is that faint yang means aversion to cold and weak yin means fever. The physician sweated him and made the yang qi faint, then purged him greatly and made the yin qi weak. In the fifth month the yang qi is in the exterior and the stomach is cold within; because the yang qi is faint inside it cannot master the cold, so he wants thick garments. In the eleventh month the yang qi is in the interior and the stomach is hot and restless; because the yin qi is weak inside it cannot master the heat, so he wants to go bare. Moreover the yin pulse is slow and astringent, so one knows the blood is lost.
微多與它脉並見:並濇為營衛不足,並緩為欲愈,並緊為短氣。單言微者,僅寸口、尺中兩處。
傷寒論·辨脉法第一 Read in context →
脉瞥瞥如羹上肥者,陽氣微也。 脉瞥瞥如羹上肥者,阳气微也。
mài piē piē rú gēng shàng féi zhě yáng qì wēi yě
A pulse glancing like fat floating on broth means the yang qi is faint.
微多與它脉並見:並濇為營衛不足,並緩為欲愈,並緊為短氣。單言微者,僅寸口、尺中兩處。
傷寒論·辨太陽病脉證并治上第五 Read in context →
太陽病,得之八九日,如瘧狀,發熱惡寒,熱多寒少,其人不嘔,清便欲自可,一日二三度發,脉微緩者,爲欲愈也。脉微而惡寒者,此陰陽俱虚,不可更發汗、更下、更吐也。面色反有熱色者,未欲解也。以其不能得小汗出,身必痒,宜桂枝麻黃各半湯。 太阳病,得之八九日,如疟状,发热恶寒,热多寒少,其人不呕,清便欲自可,一日二三度发,脉微缓者,为欲愈也。脉微而恶寒者,此阴阳俱虚,不可更发汗、更下、更吐也。面色反有热色者,未欲解也。以其不能得小汗出,身必痒,宜桂枝麻黄各半汤。
tài yáng bìng dé zhī bā jiǔ rì rú nüè zhuàng fā rè wù hán rè duō hán shǎo qí rén bù ǒu qīng biàn yù zì kě yī rì èr sān dù fā mài wēi huǎn zhě wéi yù yù yě mài wēi ér wù hán zhě cǐ yīn yáng jù xū bù kě gèng fā hàn gèng xià gèng tǔ yě miàn sè fǎn yǒu rè sè zhě wèi yù jiě yě yǐ qí bù néng dé xiǎo hàn chū shēn bì yǎng yí guì zhī má huáng gè bàn tāng
In taiyang disease of eight or nine days, with a malaria-like pattern, fever and aversion to cold, more heat than cold, no vomiting, stool and urine still passable, and two or three attacks a day, a faint, relaxed pulse means it is about to heal. If the pulse is faint with aversion to cold, yin and yang are both empty, and one must not again sweat, purge or vomit. If the face instead shows a hot colour, it is not about to resolve; because a light sweat cannot come out, the body will itch. Cinnamon Twig and Ephedra Half-and-Half Decoction is fitting.
微多與它脉並見:並濇為營衛不足,並緩為欲愈,並緊為短氣。單言微者,僅寸口、尺中兩處。

Compounds built on this term

脉微
mài wēi
the pulse is faint
辨脉法第一
微而濇
wēi ér sè
faint and astringent
辨脉法第一
微緩
wēi huǎn
faint and relaxed
太陽病脉證并治上第五
微弱
wēi ruò
faint and weak
太陽病脉證并治上第五

How it has been translated

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

This sitethe faint qualitykeeps 微 distinct from 弱
Literalminuteexact, and it suggests size rather than strength
Clinicalthread-likevivid, and it is what 細 already names

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-10-28

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Reading path

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