Classica Sinica Medica

結 简体 结

jié

The knotted quality · jie

Also rendered: The bound pulse (Literal) · The intermittent pulse (Clinical)

Vessels

Reviewed · 2026-10-28

At a glance

Pinyin
jié
Simplified
结
Literal
結 jié — to tie, to knot, to bind fast. As a pulse it comes slowly, stops once, and returns: a thread with a knot in it.
Shuowen
**《說文》：結，締也**，从糸，吉聲。**「結」五篇共10見**（經文），其義有二：一為結脉（緩而時一止），一為陽結、陰結之病名。二者同名而異實，最易相混。

In brief

Two things are called 結 in these chapters, and they must not be merged. The knotted pulse is slow, stops once and returns (脉來緩，時一止復來者，名曰結), and its cause is yin excess. The yang knot and the yin knot are cases, not pulses: the first is floating and rapid with appetite and no stool, the second deep and slow with no appetite, a heavy body and hard stool, each with a prognosis in days. A third use describes the shape of the yin knot — like running the hand down a long pole. The entry separates pulse, case and image.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
What it is 脉來緩，時一止復來者，名曰結
緩而時一止復來，名結
A pulse that comes relaxed, stops once and comes again, is named knotted.
脉來緩，時一止復來者，名曰結 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一
2
Yin excess 陰盛則結
陽盛則促，陰盛則結
Yang in excess makes the pulse skip; yin in excess makes it knotted.
脉陽盛則促，陰盛則結 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一
3
Both are sick pulses 陽盛則促，陰盛則結
促為陽盛，結為陰盛，皆屬病脉
Both are sick pulses, whatever the excess behind them.
陽盛則促，陰盛則結，此皆病脉 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一
4
The yang knot is a case 名曰陽結也
浮數能食而不大便，證名陽結
Floating and rapid, with appetite and no stool: the case is replete and named the yang knot, expected to worsen on the seventeenth day.
其脉浮而數，能食，不大便者，此爲實，名曰陽結也 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一
5
The yin knot is a case 名曰陰結也
沉遲不能食而身體重，證名陰結
Deep and slow, with no appetite, a heavy body and hard stool: named the yin knot, expected to worsen on the fourteenth day.
其脉沉而遲，不能食，身體重，大便反鞕，名曰陰結也 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一
6
The shape of the yin knot 如循長竿者，名曰陰結也
纍纍如循長竿，是陰結之形
A pulse like a rope, like running the hand down a long pole: this is the shape of the yin knot.
脉纍纍，如循長竿者，名曰陰結也 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
4 passages
傷寒論·辨脉法第一 Read in context →
脉來緩，時一止復來者，名曰結。脉來數，時一止復來者，名曰促。脉陽盛則促，陰盛則結，此皆病脉。 脉来缓，时一止复来者，名曰结。脉来数，时一止复来者，名曰促。脉阳盛则促，阴盛则结，此皆病脉。
mài lái huǎn shí yī zhǐ fù lái zhě míng yuē jié mài lái shuò shí yī zhǐ fù lái zhě míng yuē cù mài yáng shèng zé cù yīn shèng zé jié cǐ jiē bìng mài
A pulse that comes relaxed and now and then stops before returning is called knotted; a pulse that comes rapid and now and then stops before returning is called hurried. Yang excess gives the hurried, yin excess the knotted; both are diseased pulses.
**「結」五篇共10見**（經文，不含成注），本文引第1篇第13段、第1篇第02段、第1篇第08段、第1篇第09段。
傷寒論·辨脉法第一 Read in context →
問曰：脉有陽結陰結者，何以别之？答曰：其脉浮而數，能食，不大便者，此爲實，名曰陽結也，期十七日當劇。其脉沉而遲，不能食，身體重，大便反鞕，名曰陰結也，期十四日當劇。 问曰：脉有阳结阴结者，何以别之？答曰：其脉浮而数，能食，不大便者，此为实，名曰阳结也，期十七日当剧。其脉沉而迟，不能食，身体重，大便反鞕，名曰阴结也，期十四日当剧。
wèn yuē mài yǒu yáng jié yīn jié zhě hé yǐ bié zhī dá yuē qí mài fú ér shuò néng shí bù dà biàn zhě cǐ wéi shí míng yuē yáng jié yě qī shí qī rì dāng jù qí mài chén ér chí bù néng shí shēn tǐ zhòng dà biàn fǎn yìng míng yuē yīn jié yě qī shí sì rì dāng jù
Asked: “When the pulse has yang binding and yin binding, how are they told apart?” The answer: “If the pulse is floating and rapid, with ability to eat but no stool, this is excess: it is called yang binding, and it is expected to worsen on the seventeenth day. If the pulse is deep and slow, with no appetite, heaviness of body and a hard stool instead, it is called yin binding, and it is expected to worsen on the fourteenth day.”
結有二實：結脉與陽結、陰結。脉以緩數分結促，證以浮沉遲數分陽陰，同名而不可通。
傷寒論·辨脉法第一 Read in context →
脉藹藹，如車蓋者，名曰陽結也。 脉蔼蔼，如车盖者，名曰阳结也。
mài ǎi ǎi rú chē gài zhě míng yuē yáng jié yě
A pulse lush and soft like a chariot canopy is called yang binding.
結有二實：結脉與陽結、陰結。脉以緩數分結促，證以浮沉遲數分陽陰，同名而不可通。
傷寒論·辨脉法第一 Read in context →
脉纍纍，如循長竿者，名曰陰結也。 脉累累，如循长竿者，名曰阴结也。
mài léi léi rú xún cháng gān zhě míng yuē yīn jié yě
A pulse heaped like running the hand along a long pole is called yin binding.
結有二實：結脉與陽結、陰結。脉以緩數分結促，證以浮沉遲數分陽陰，同名而不可通。

Compounds built on this term

結脉
jié mài
the knotted pulse
辨脉法第一
名曰結
míng yuē jié
named knotted
辨脉法第一
陽結
yáng jié
the yang knot
辨脉法第一
陰結
yīn jié
the yin knot
辨脉法第一

How it has been translated

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

This sitethe knotted qualityslow base, one stop; the knots of case are separate
Literaltiedexact as an image, ambiguous as a term
Clinicaldropped beatclear, and it erases the slow-rapid distinction

Entry status

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2026-10-28

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