細 简体 细

xì

The fine quality · xi

Also rendered: The thin pulse (Literal) · The small pulse (Clinical)

Reviewed · 2026-10-28

At a glance

Pinyin
xì
Simplified
细
Literal
細 xì — slender, like a thread of silk. As a pulse it is thin but distinct, small in calibre rather than faint in force.
Shuowen
**《說文》:細,微也**,从糸,囟聲。**「細」五篇共6見**(經文),其為脉名者多與沉並舉,主裏病、濕痺、痓與中暍。

In brief

The fine quality: a pulse thin in calibre but still distinct, distinguished from faint by being clear rather than weak. In this book it almost always appears with deep: 脉當沉而細 is what an interior illness should look like, 尺寸俱沉細 is Taiyin, 沉細 in a cold body means death within a day. It also joins string, hollow and slow in the pulse of summerheat stroke, and deep-fine with fever and no sweat names spasm.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
What an interior illness should show 脉當沉而細
裏病之脉當沉細
If there is illness within, the pulse should be deep and fine; a floating large pulse instead means the patient is recovering.
若裏有病者,脉當沉而細 — 傷寒論·平脉法第二
2
Taiyin's fine pulse 尺寸俱沉細者
尺寸俱沉細,太陰受病
When cubit and inch are both deep and fine, the Taiyin is sick; the pulse spreads through the stomach and binds the throat.
尺寸俱沉細者,太陰受病也 — 傷寒論·傷寒例第三
3
Fine at the end 脉沉細者
陰病沉細,不過一日而死
A deep and fine pulse with cold limbs: death within a day.
脉沉細者,不過一日,死矣 — 傷寒論·傷寒例第三
4
Fine in spasm 脉沉而細者,名曰:「痓」
發熱無汗而沉細,名曰痓
Taiyang disease with fever and a deep fine pulse is named spasm.
太陽病,發熱,脉沉而細者,名曰:「痓」 — 傷寒論·辨痓濕暍脉證第四
5
Fine among four 脉弦、細、芤、遲
弦細芤遲並見,中暍之候
String-like, fine, hollow and slow: the pulse of summerheat stroke.
其脉弦、細、芤、遲 — 傷寒論·辨痓濕暍脉證第四
6
Fine means dampness 脉沉而細者,此名濕痺之候
沉細為濕痺之候
Deep and fine names the dampness block: joints painful, urination blocked, stool loose.
脉沉而細者,此名濕痺之候 — 傷寒論·辨痓濕暍脉證第四

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·平脉法第二 Read in context →
假令病人云:腹内卒痛。病人自坐,師到,脉之浮而大者,知其差也。何以知之?若裏有病者,脉當沉而細,今脉浮大,故知愈也。 假令病人云:腹内卒痛。病人自坐,师到,脉之浮而大者,知其差也。何以知之?若里有病者,脉当沉而细,今脉浮大,故知愈也。
jiǎ lìng bìng rén yún fù nèi cù tòng bìng rén zì zuò shī dào mài zhī fú ér dà zhě zhī qí chài yě hé yǐ zhī zhī ruò lǐ yǒu bìng zhě mài dāng chén ér xì jīn mài fú dà gù zhī yù yě
Suppose the patient says there is sudden pain in the belly, yet sits at ease; the physician arrives and finds the pulse floating and large — he knows the illness is passing. How does he know? If the interior were diseased the pulse should be deep and fine; now it is floating and large, and so he knows it will heal.
**「細」五篇共6見**(經文,不含成注),本文引第2篇第11段、第3篇第27段、第3篇第58段、第4篇第04段、第4篇第07段。
傷寒論·傷寒例第三 Read in context →
尺寸俱沉細者,太陰受病也。當四五日發,以其脉布胃中,絡於嗌,故腹滿而嗌乾。 尺寸俱沉细者,太阴受病也。当四五日发,以其脉布胃中,络于嗌,故腹满而嗌干。
chǐ cùn jù chén xì zhě tài yīn shòu bìng yě dāng sì wǔ rì fā yǐ qí mài bù wèi zhōng luò yú yì gù fù mǎn ér yì gān
When both inch and cubit are deep and fine, the greater yin is diseased; it shows on the fourth or fifth day. Its vessel spreads through the stomach and nets the throat, and so the belly is full and the throat dry.
細與微之别:細者形瘦而分明,微者力薄而難尋。故沉細為裏、為濕、為痓,微則主陽衰。
傷寒論·傷寒例第三 Read in context →
讝言妄語,身微熱,脉浮大,手足温者生;逆冷,脉沉細者,不過一日,死矣。 谵言妄语,身微热,脉浮大,手足温者生;逆冷,脉沉细者,不过一日,死矣。
zhān yán wàng yǔ shēn wēi rè mài fú dà shǒu zú wēn zhě shēng nì lěng mài chén xì zhě bù guò yī rì sǐ yǐ
Delirious and wild speech with slight body heat, a floating large pulse and warm hands and feet means life; with cold limbs and a deep fine pulse, death within a day.
細與微之别:細者形瘦而分明,微者力薄而難尋。故沉細為裏、為濕、為痓,微則主陽衰。
傷寒論·辨痓濕暍脉證第四 Read in context →
太陽病,發熱,脉沉而細者,名曰:「痓」。 太阳病,发热,脉沉而细者,名曰:“痓”。
tài yáng bìng fā rè mài chén ér xì zhě míng yuē chì
In taiyang disease with fever and a deep, thin pulse, the disorder is called convulsion.
細與微之别:細者形瘦而分明,微者力薄而難尋。故沉細為裏、為濕、為痓,微則主陽衰。
傷寒論·辨痓濕暍脉證第四 Read in context →
太陽病,關節疼痛而煩,脉沉而細者,此名濕痺之候。其人小便不利,大便反快,但當利其小便。 太阳病,关节疼痛而烦,脉沉而细者,此名湿痹之候。其人小便不利,大便反快,但当利其小便。
tài yáng bìng guān jié téng tòng ér fán mài chén ér xì zhě cǐ míng shī bì zhī hòu qí rén xiǎo biàn bù lì dà biàn fǎn kuài dàn dāng lì qí xiǎo biàn
In taiyang disease with painful joints, restlessness and a deep, thin pulse, the condition is dampness impediment. The patient passes little urine while the stool is instead loose; one should simply promote urination.
細與微之别:細者形瘦而分明,微者力薄而難尋。故沉細為裏、為濕、為痓,微則主陽衰。

Compounds built on this term

沉細
chén xì
deep and fine
傷寒例第三
脉沉而細
mài chén ér xì
the pulse is deep and fine
辨痓濕暍脉證第四
弦細芤遲
xián xì kōu chí
string, fine, hollow and slow
辨痓濕暍脉證第四

How it has been translated

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

This sitethe fine qualitythin in calibre, not weak in force
Literalslenderexact, and slightly literary
Clinicalthreadystandard, and it merges fine with faint

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-10-28

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