孫絡 简体 孙络

sūn luò

The grandchild network · sun luo

Also rendered: the grandchild network (Literal, and keeps the branching image) · the tertiary vessels (Accurate but anachronistically anatomical) · the finest network vessels (Descriptive, loses 孫) · sun luo (Bare transliteration)

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
sūn luò
Simplified
孙络
Literal
孫 a son's son, a grandchild (《說文》: 孫,子之子曰孫 — 段注: 引申之凡 後出、旁出者皆曰孫). 絡 the floss of raw silk (《說文》: 絡,絮也 — 段注: 引申之爲凡聯絡、網絡之偁). The smallest branches of the vessel system: grandchildren of the channel.
Shuowen
《說文解字》:孫,子之子曰孫(段玉裁注:引申之,凡旁出、後出者亦謂之孫);絡,絮也(段玉裁注:引申之爲聯絡、網絡之偁)。

In brief

The finest vessels — the branches of the branches. The chapter’s treatment rules distinguish three tiers: if the disease is in the channel, treat the channel; if it is in the grandchild network, bleed the grandchild network; if it is a blood disease with pain in the body, treat the channel and the network together. Elsewhere in the chapter the network vessels appear as the place where a pulse that is intermittent and hooked puts its disease. The anatomy is the point: the needle goes to the depth the disease has reached, and no deeper.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
Where it sits in the vessel tree 孫絡
絡之別出者,絡之孫也
孫絡病者,治其孫絡血 — Suwen 20
2
The rule for its disease 治其孫絡血
病在孫絡則出其血
孫絡病者,治其孫絡血 — Suwen 20
3
The level above it 經病者,治其經
病在經則治經,各從其處
經病者,治其經 — Suwen 20
4
When both are involved 血病身有痛者,治其經絡
血病而身痛,經絡兼治
血病身有痛者,治其經絡 — Suwen 20
5
The network as a disease site 其脉代而鈎者,病在絡脉
脈代而鈎,其病在絡
其脉代而鈎者,病在絡脉 — Suwen 20

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
7 passages
素問·三部九候論 Suwen 20 · 三部九候論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:經病者,治其經;孫絡病者,治其孫絡血;血病身有痛者,治其經絡。 歧伯曰:经病者,治其经;孙络病者,治其孙络血;血病身有痛者,治其经络。
Qí bó yuē: jīng bìng zhě, zhì qí jīng; sūn luò bìng zhě, zhì qí sūn luò xuè; xuè bìng shēn yǒu tòng zhě, zhì qí jīng luò.
Qibo says: for disease of the channels, treat the channels. For disease of the grandchild networks, treat the blood of the grandchild networks. For blood disease with pain in the body, treat the channels and networks.
篇末論可治之法,分三層:經病治其經,孫絡病治其孫絡血,血病身有痛者則治其經絡。「孫」者,絡之別出,如子之孫,言其細小而旁出也。與上文「其脉代而鈎者,病在絡脉」相應——絡脈亦自有病位,非經病之餘。又本篇「視其經絡浮沈,以上下逆從循之」(第三十四段)亦以經絡並舉,為診之與治同一部位之證。
素問·瘧論 Suwen 35 · 瘧論 Read in context →
審候見之,在孫絡盛堅而血者,皆取之,此真往而未得并者也。 审候见之,在孙络盛坚而血者,皆取之,此真往而未得并者也。
Shěn hòu jiàn zhī, zài sūn luò shèng jiān ér xuè zhě, jiē qǔ zhī, cǐ zhēn wǎng ér wèi dé bìng zhě yě.
Examine and watch for it: wherever the grandchild networks are full, hard and blooded, take them all. This is the true qi having gone forth and not yet merged.
「孫絡」之目於本站已立(id 661),所收一條(第二十四篇),本站之釋以「病在絡者刺絡」為孫絡之治則。**本篇「孫絡」二字惟此一見,而正用其治則**:「審候見之,在孫絡盛堅而血者,皆取之」——**與第二十四篇「孫絡」之刺法為同一法,而彼言其常,此言其時**。「孫」讀 sūn;「絡」讀 luò;「盛」讀 shèng;「堅」讀 jiān;「而」讀 ér;「血」讀 xuè;「者」讀 zhě;「皆」讀 jiē;「取」讀 qǔ;「在」讀 zài;「審」讀 shěn;「候」讀 hòu;「見」讀 jiàn;「之」讀 zhī;「此」讀 cǐ;「真」讀 zhēn;「往」讀 wǎng;「未」讀 wèi;「得」讀 dé;「并」讀 bìng;「也」讀 yě。**「此真往而未得并者也」八字,是本篇刺孫絡之時機**:真氣已往四末而邪尚未并,**與上文「夫瘧之未發也,陰未并陽,陽未并陰,因而調之」為同一時機之兩說**——**一則調之,一則取之;調者言其理,取者言其法**。**與本站「孫絡」條所收第二十四篇「病在孫絡者,刺孫絡」之治則相合**,**而本篇更補出其「時」**:未并之時乃可取。
素問·脉解 Suwen 49 · 脉解 Read in context →
所謂客孫脉則頭痛鼻鼽腹腫者,陽明并於上,上者則其孫絡太陰也,故頭痛鼻鼽腹腫也。 所谓客孙脉则头痛鼻鼽腹肿者,阳明并于上,上者则其孙络太阴也,故头痛鼻鼽腹肿也。
Suǒ wèi kè sūn mài zé tóu tòng bí qiú fù zhǒng zhě, yáng míng bìng yú shàng, shàng zhě zé qí sūn luò tài yīn yě, gù tóu tòng bí qiú fù zhǒng yě.
What is called lodgement in the grandchild vessels giving headache, blocked nose and swollen belly: bright yang merges above, and what is above there is the grandchild network of the greater yin; hence headache, blocked nose and swollen belly.
「其「孫」讀 sūn「絡」讀 luò太陰也」——**本篇「孫絡」1見**;**上文作「客孫脉」,孫脉與孫絡同篇二名**;「鼽」讀 qiú、**本篇2見,鼻塞曰鼽**;「頭」讀 tóu、**本篇2見**;**陽明并於上,上者則其孫絡太陰,故頭痛鼻鼽腹腫**。
素問·氣穴論 Suwen 58 · 氣穴論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:孫絡三百六十五穴會,亦以應一歲,以溢奇邪,以通滎衛。 歧伯曰:孙络三百六十五穴会,亦以应一岁,以溢奇邪,以通荥卫。
Qí bó yuē: sūn luò sān bǎi liù shí wǔ xué huì, yì yǐ yìng yī suì, yǐ yì qí xié, yǐ tōng róng wèi.
Qi Bo says: the grandchild network too has three hundred and sixty-five point meetings, answering likewise to one year; it lets the strange evil overflow, and lets construction and defence pass through.
「歧伯曰:「孫」讀 sūn「絡」讀 luò三百六十五穴會,亦以應一歲,以溢奇邪,以通滎衛。」——**本篇「孫絡」3見,讀 sūn luò**;**一見於黄帝之問「願聞孫絡谿谷」,二見於此答,三見於末節「孫絡之脉别經者」**;**本篇進一解:孫絡亦三百六十五會,亦以應一歲,與氣穴、谿谷三者同數**;**本目以層次立名:經有絡,絡有孫絡;本篇正是此層次之第三級**;「會」讀 huì、**「穴會」「所會」之會讀 huì,本篇8見**;「溢」讀 yì、**「以溢奇邪」之溢讀 yì,本篇6見**
素問·調經論 Suwen 62 · 調經論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:血有餘則怒,不足則恐。血氣未并,五藏安定,孫絡水溢,則經有留血。 歧伯曰:血有余则怒,不足则恐。血气未并,五藏安定,孙络水溢,则经有留血。
Qí bó yuē: xuè yǒu yú zé nù, bù zú zé kǒng. Xuè qì wèi bìng, wǔ zàng ān dìng, sūn luò shuǐ yì, zé jīng yǒu liú xuè.
Qi Bo says: when the blood is in excess there is anger; when it is insufficient, fear. If blood and qi have not pooled and the five depots are settled, but the water of the grandchild network vessels overflows, then there is blood retained in the channels.
「血氣未并,五藏安定,孫絡水溢,則經有留血」——**「孫絡」本篇1見,在血之有餘一證中**:**孫絡水溢則經有留血,是血有餘之微者**;**本篇「孫脉」3見(傳入於孫脉、孫脉滿則傳入於絡脉、絡之與孫脉俱輸於經),字作「脉」而義同,新立專目**;**「孫」讀 sūn、「絡」讀 luò**
素問·繆刺論 Suwen 63 · 繆刺論 Read in context →
今邪客於皮毛,入舍於孫絡,留而不去,閉塞不通,不得入於經,流溢於大絡,而生奇病也。 今邪客于皮毛,入舍于孙络,留而不去,闭塞不通,不得入于经,流溢于大络,而生奇病也。
Jīn xié kè yú pí máo, rù shè yú sūn luò, liú ér bù qù, bì sè bù tōng, bù dé rù yú jīng, liú yì yú dà luò, ér shēng qí bìng yě.
But here the evil lodges in the skin and the hair and settles in the grandchild network. It stays and does not leave, the network is blocked and will not open, the evil cannot get into the channels, and it floods into the great network, which gives rise to an unusual disease.
「今邪客於皮毛,入舍於孫絡,留而不去,閉塞不通,不得入於經,流溢於大絡,而生奇病也」——**「孫絡」本篇1見,在繆刺所由生之處**:**邪客皮毛、入舍孫絡而閉塞不通,不得入於經,乃流溢於大絡而生奇病**;**奇病者,不循常經之病,故不可以經刺治之——繆刺之法即自此起**;**本篇「孫脉」1見,字作「脉」,與此為同篇之二形**;**「孫」讀 sūn、「絡」讀 luò**
素問·四時刺逆從論 Suwen 64 · 四時刺逆從論 Read in context →
是故春,氣在經脉;夏,氣在孫絡;長夏,氣在肌肉;秋,氣在皮膚;冬,氣在骨髓中。 是故春,气在经脉;夏,气在孙络;长夏,气在肌肉;秋,气在皮肤;冬,气在骨髓中。
Shì gù chūn, qì zài jīng mài; xià, qì zài sūn luò; zhǎng xià, qì zài jī ròu; qiū, qì zài pí fū; dōng, qì zài gǔ suǐ zhōng.
Therefore in spring the qi is in the channel vessels; in summer, in the grandchild network; in late summer, in the flesh; in autumn, in the skin; in winter, within the bone and marrow.
「夏,氣在孫絡」——**「孫絡」本篇2見**;**夏者經滿氣溢,入孫絡受血,皮膚充實,故氣在孫絡**;**下文「冬刺絡脉」則內氣外泄而留為大痺,正以冬氣在骨髓中而反刺其絡**

Compounds built on this term

絡
luò
network vessel
說文:絮也;引申為聯絡
孫
sūn
grandchild
說文:子之子曰孫
孫絡血
sūn luò xuè
the blood of the grandchild network
出其血以為治
經絡
jīng luò
channel and network
經為幹,絡為枝
絡脉
luò mài
the network vessels
本篇:病在絡脉

How it has been translated

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

Wiseman & Fengthe network vesselsThey keep 絡 as network and do not usually carry 孫 through as a separate order of branching.
Unschuldthe grandson [vessels] / network vesselsHe retains the kinship image where the text has it.
This sitethe grandchild network孫 is 子之子 — the child of the child — and the word is doing real work here: the treatment rule is a rule about depth, and the kinship tells you how far out the branch is without inventing an anatomy. Tertiary is more precise in a modern diagram but imports a numbering the text does not have, and it flattens the joke — the vessel tree is described as a family because it branches like one.

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09

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Reading path

Guided routes through the corpus, each built on a handful of chapters and their key terms.

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